Mukul Roy, Former Railway Minister and Veteran Politician Passes Away at 71

Former Railway Minister and senior Trinamool Congress leader Mukul Roy passed away on Monday at Apollo Hospital in Salt Lake, Kolkata, after suffering a cardiac arrest at 1.30 am, his son Subhranshu Roy confirmed.

According to multiple reports, he had been suffering from dementia and several other health issues. A few days ago, he slipped into a coma.

Over the past two years, his health had been steadily worsening, and he was frequently hospitalised, had stopped recognising familiar faces, and was being given liquid food through a Ryle’s tube.

Born on April 17, 1954, in Kanchrapara in North 24 Parganas district of West Bengal, Roy was the son of Jugal Nath Roy and Rekha Roy.

In August 1980, he married Krishna Roy. The couple had one son, Subhranshu Roy, who later entered politics and served as an MLA, following in his father’s footsteps.

Who Was Mukul Roy?

Roy was among the founding members of the Trinamool Congress in 1998 and later became the party’s national general secretary.

Often called the “Chanakya of Bengal politics” for his sharp political mind, he was once considered the second most powerful leader in the party after West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee.

After helping the Trinamool Congress defeat the Left Front and come to power in West Bengal in 2011, he was appointed Minister of State for Shipping in the UPA II government and later served as Railway Minister from March to September 2012.

He also served as a former Rajya Sabha MP.

His ties with the Trinamool Congress began to weaken after his name came up in investigations linked to the Saradha chit fund scam and the Narada sting operation.

Why Was Mukul Roy Removed From TMC and Expelled in 2017?

In 2015, he was removed from the post of national general secretary, and in 2017 he was expelled from the party.

In November 2017, Roy joined the Bharatiya Janata Party in a move seen as a major political shift in West Bengal.

He was later made the party’s national vice president and was given the responsibility of strengthening the BJP’s organisation in the state.

He played an important role in expanding the BJP’s presence in West Bengal and was regarded as a key strategist who contributed significantly to the party winning 18 out of 42 Lok Sabha seats in Bengal in 2019, according to a PTI report.

In the 2021 Assembly elections, he contested on a BJP ticket from Krishnanagar Uttar constituency and defeated TMC candidate and actor Koushani Mukherjee.

Why Did Mukul Roy’s Influence in the BJP Decline After the 2021 West Bengal Elections?

However, after Mamata Banerjee returned to power in the 2021 West Bengal Assembly elections, his influence in the BJP reportedly declined amid internal differences and changing political equations.

On June 11, 2021, Roy and his son Subhranshu Roy rejoined the Trinamool Congress in the presence of Mamata Banerjee, about a month after Suvendu Adhikari became the Leader of the Opposition in West Bengal following his close victory over Mamata Banerjee in Nandigram.

Over time, Roy eventually returned fully to Banerjee’s camp, marking another dramatic turn in his political journey.

Following his passing, BJP leader Dilip Ghosh paid tribute to Roy, and said, "He was an experienced politician. He became a Union Minister too. When he came to the BJP, he was given a lot of respect. From 2019-2021, he was with us. Later, he left the BJP and went to the TMC. For the last 2-3 years, he has been ill and could not actively participate in politics. I pray that his soul rests in peace," he told ANI.

BJP leader Suvendu Adhikari also expressed grief over the news on X, writing, "Deeply disheartened to learn about the sad demise of Senior Politician; Shri Mukul Roy. My sincere condolences to his family. Praying that his soul attains eternal peace. Om Shanti."

According to Aaj Tak Bangla, his last rites will be held on Monday after his body is brought back home.

(With inputs from ANI)