TMC leader and former railway minister Mukul Roy dies at age 71.

Early on Monday morning, Mukul Roy, a former railway minister and founding member of the Trinamool Congress (TMC), which rules West Bengal, passed away at a hospital in Kolkata. He was seventy-one.

“He was suffering from multiple ailments, including Parkinson’s disease, and had undergone three surgeries. He was admitted to the hospital for over two years and was in a coma,” said Subhranshu Roy, his son.

Often referred to as the Chanakya of Bengal politics, Mukul Roy was a close friend of Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee and was well-known for his election management skills.

As soon as word leaked out of his death, tributes began to flow in. Mukul Roy is Mamata Banerjee’s longtime political partner and ally in political battles. “The late Mukul Roy  devoted his life to the party [TMC] from the very inception… He served as a Union minister and enjoyed acceptability across all levels of the party. Later, he took a different path, only to return. His contributions to Bengal’s politics and his organisational acumen are unforgettable. Regardless of party affiliations, the political circles will feel his absence,” she wrote on X.

TMC leader Abhishek Banerjee described Mukul Roy as a founding pillar of their party. “The demise of Mukul Roy marks the end of an era in Bengal’s political history. A veteran leader with vast experience. His contributions helped shape an important phase of the state’s public and political journey.” He said Mukul Roy was instrumental in expanding and consolidating the TMC during its formative years. “His dedication to public life will be recalled with admiration. I extend my sincere sympathies to his family, friends, and admirers. May his soul be granted eternal peace,” 

Mukul Roy began his political career as a leader of the Youth Congress. He gained notoriety as the general secretary of the TMC for his political savvy. He was instrumental in the TMC’s historic victory in the 2011 assembly elections, which put an end to the eastern state’s three-decade Left Front dominance. During the second Congress-led United Progressive Alliance government (2009-2014), he held the positions of railway minister and minister of state for shipping.  In October 2017, he resigned from both the TMC’s primary membership and the Rajya Sabha.

After winning the assembly elections in 2021 on a BJP ticket, Mukul Roy rejoined the TMC. His son did the same.  Last month, the Supreme Court overturned a Calcutta high court ruling that disqualified Mukul Roy from serving in the West Bengal parliament for joining the TMC after winning a seat on a BJP ticket in 2021.