A prominent face in West Bengal politics and former Union Railway Minister Mukul Roy passed away early Monday morning. He breathed his last around 1:30 am at a hospital in Kolkata. The 71-year-old leader had been battling dementia and several other serious health issues for a long time. His death has triggered a wave of mourning across the state’s political circles.
Mukul Roy’s political journey saw many ups and downs. He was known as one of Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee’s closest aides and served as her key political strategist for years. He began his political career with the Youth Congress and later played a crucial role in the formation of the All India Trinamool Congress in 1998 along with Mamata Banerjee.
Mastermind Behind Mamata Banerjee Becoming Chief Minister
Mukul Roy was appointed as the Organisation General Secretary of the Trinamool Congress (TMC) and gradually emerged as the party’s number two leader. His political strategy was considered crucial in TMC’s historic victory in the 2011 West Bengal Assembly elections, which ended the 34-year-long Left Front rule.
He also played an important role in Parliament. Mukul Roy was elected to the Rajya Sabha in 2006 and served as the TMC’s Rajya Sabha leader from 2009 to 2012. During the UPA-2 government, he first worked as the Minister of State for Shipping and later served as the Railway Minister between 2011 and 2012, replacing party leader Dinesh Trivedi. He was also associated with the Ministry of Urban Development.
Known as the “Chanakya of Bengal politics,” Mukul Roy played a major role in strengthening the TMC after 2011. As General Secretary until 2015, he helped bring many leaders from the CPM and Congress into the party.
Sharada-Narada Scams Created Distance From Mamata Banerjee
In later years, Mukul Roy’s name became linked with the Sharada chit fund scam and the Narada sting operation, which led to controversies. His relationship with the party leadership weakened, and he was expelled from the TMC in 2017. Later that year, in November 2017, he joined the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).
While in the BJP, Mukul Roy played a key role in strengthening the party’s organisation in West Bengal. His strategy was seen as important in BJP winning 18 seats in the state in the 2019 Lok Sabha elections. He was made the BJP’s national vice-president in 2020. In the 2021 Assembly elections, he won from Krishnanagar North on a BJP ticket.
Moving Between TMC and BJP
Just a few months after the election, Mukul Roy returned to the TMC in June 2021. However, he did not remain active in politics as before and stayed away from public life due to health issues. In November 2025, the Calcutta High Court disqualified him as an MLA under the anti-defection law, as he had returned to the TMC after being elected on a BJP ticket.
Mukul Roy’s death is being seen as the end of an era in West Bengal politics. Leaders from various political parties expressed grief and said he was a skilled organiser and strategist whose role in state politics will be remembered for a long time.
