Mukul Roy: A Political Journey Ends with the Passing of a Key Figure in West Bengal
Mukul Roy Passes Away at 73
Kolkata: Mukul Roy, a prominent political figure and former Railway Minister from West Bengal, passed away early Monday morning at a private hospital in Kolkata, as confirmed by his family. He was 73 years old.
His son, Subhranshu Roy, reported that Mukul Roy died shortly after 1:30 a.m. Monday. He had been undergoing treatment for various health issues but was not responding to the medical care he received, according to close associates.
Roy was a significant player in the Trinamool Congress, serving as the party's general secretary and a close ally of Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee. He was among the founding members who approached the Election Commission of India in the late 1990s to establish the Trinamool Congress after breaking away from the Congress party, gaining support from several state Congress leaders.
He held various ministerial roles, including Railways Minister and Union Minister of State for Shipping and Waterways, during the United Progressive Alliance (UPA)-II government led by Dr. Manmohan Singh, which began in 2009 with Trinamool Congress as a coalition partner.
Over time, Roy began to distance himself from the Trinamool Congress leadership, particularly from Mamata Banerjee. He was eventually removed from his position as general secretary, and his involvement in party activities diminished.
In 2017, he made the decision to leave the Trinamool Congress and join the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), resigning from his Rajya Sabha seat. He remained with the BJP until 2021.
During the 2021 West Bengal Assembly elections, he contested successfully as a BJP candidate from the Krishnanagar (Uttar) constituency in Nadia district.
However, shortly after the election results were announced, he rejoined the Trinamool Congress, which secured a third consecutive term under Mamata Banerjee's leadership.
Despite this, he did not resign from his position in the state Assembly and continued to serve as a BJP legislator.
The Assembly Speaker, Biman Bandopadhyay, dismissed the BJP's request to revoke Roy's membership, stating that since he was officially a BJP candidate, his membership could not be annulled.
Roy was appointed as the Chairman of the Public Accounts Committee (PAC), a role typically assigned to an MLA from the main opposition party.
Subsequently, the BJP sought the Calcutta High Court's intervention to cancel Roy's membership as a legislator from the Krishnanagar (Uttar) constituency.
After extensive hearings, the Calcutta High Court's division bench ruled on November 12, 2025, to revoke Roy's membership.
This decision was contested in the Supreme Court by his son, Subhranshu Roy, and on January 16, the Supreme Court temporarily stayed the Calcutta High Court's ruling.
Mukul Roy's passing signifies the conclusion of a vibrant yet tumultuous political career. He is often credited with pioneering the trend of enticing political leaders from rival parties to switch allegiances.