Former Union Railway Minister and veteran West Bengal leader Mukul Roy passed away in the wee hours of Monday at a private hospital in Kolkata. He was 71 years old.
Roy suffered a cardiac arrest and breathed his last at around 1.30 am at a private hospital in Salt Lake, his son Subhranshu Roy confirmed, as reported by Hindustan Times. His family members said that he was suffering from multiple health complications for the last two years, including dementia, and had recently slipped into a coma.
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One of the founding members of the All India Trinamool Congress (TMC) and later a prominent leader of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), Mukul Roy has left an indelible mark on the politics of West Bengal over the past two decades.
How did Mukul Roy rise from Youth Congress to TMC power centre?
Roy became a close associate of Mamata Banerjee at a time when she was emerging as a prominent leader in West Bengal. In 1998, he quit Congress along with a group of leaders led by Banerjee to form the All India Trinamool Congress.
As the TMC expanded its influence, Roy rapidly ascended to become the national general secretary of the party in 2006. He was instrumental in building the party's grassroots infrastructure and was considered one of the key minds behind the party's organisational setup.
He played an important role in the Trinamool Congress's victory in the 2011 Assembly election, which brought an end to the Left Front's 34-year rule in the state.
Often referred to as the "Chanakya" of West Bengal politics, Roy was known for his organisational skills.
After the Trinamool Congress party won a historic victory in the 2011 Assembly elections, bringing an end to 34 years of Left Front rule, he was instrumental in expanding the party's influence in various districts by strengthening the party's organisational structure.
What roles did he play at national level?
Mukul Roy's national position developed as he became prominent in New Delhi after being elected to the Rajya Sabha in 2006.
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During the United Progressive Alliance's second term, he joined the Union Council of Ministers, beginning as Minister of State for Shipping and then, in March 2012, assuming the full portfolio of Union Railway Minister.
Why did Mukul Roy leave TMC and join the BJP?
Roy's relationship with the TMC leadership worsened after his name appeared in investigations linked to the Saradha chit fund scam and the Narada sting operation. In 2015, he was removed as the party's national general secretary and expelled in 2017.
In November 2017, he joined the BJP. He was later named the party's national vice president and played a key role in expanding the BJP's organisational network in West Bengal.
The BJP's success in the 2019 Lok Sabha elections, winning 18 of West Bengal's 42 seats, marked a significant shift in the state's politics. Roy ran in the 2021 West Bengal Assembly elections on a BJP ticket from Krishnanagar and won.
However, he returned to the Trinamool Congress shortly after the 2021 election results were announced. His switch led to legal actions under the anti-defection law. The Calcutta High Court annulled his Assembly membership, but the Supreme Court later stayed that order.
Disqualification from West Bengal Assembly
In 2025, the Calcutta High Court disqualified BJP leader Mukul Roy from the West Bengal Assembly under the anti-defection law. According to Leader of Opposition (LoP) Suvendu Adhikari, who brought the case to court, this decision is "a victory of the Indian Constitution".
More than four years earlier, Roy switched to the Trinamool after winning as a first-time MLA on a BJP ticket from Krishnanagar Uttar in 2021.
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The court stated that Roy "is declared to have become disqualified in terms of the Tenth Schedule of the Constitution of India and the Rules of 1986 with effect from June 11, 2021".
The HC noted that Roy is "declared to have suffered disqualification with effect from June 11, 2021” and “as the Chairman of the Public Accounts Committee is set aside". Roy was appointed as Chairman of the PAC in the state Assembly.
