Mukul Roy, Senior TMC Leader, Dies at 71

Senior politician and former Union minister Mukul Roy passed away in Kolkata in the early hours of Monday. He was 71.

According to family members, Roy died of cardiac arrest at a private hospital in Salt Lake. His son, Subhranshu Roy, said he had been battling multiple health issues, including Parkinson’s disease, and had undergone several surgeries in recent years.

He had reportedly been hospitalised for an extended period and was in a coma before his demise.

A Key Figure in Bengal Politics

Mukul Roy was a founding member of the Trinamool Congress (TMC) and played a crucial role in building the party’s organisational structure in West Bengal.

He served as Minister of State in the Shipping Ministry and later in the Ministry of Railways during the second UPA government led by former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh.

Before joining the TMC, Roy had been associated with the Congress.

Shift to BJP and Return to TMC

In 2017, Roy joined the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and emerged as one of its prominent faces in West Bengal. He was elected as a BJP MLA in the 2021 West Bengal Assembly elections.

However, later that year, he returned to the Trinamool Congress in the presence of Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee and senior party leaders.

His switch triggered a legal battle over defection and disqualification from the State Legislative Assembly.

Legal Battle Over Disqualification

After rejoining the TMC, petitions were filed seeking his disqualification under the anti-defection law.

The Calcutta High Court had disqualified him as an MLA. However, in January, the Supreme Court stayed the High Court’s order and granted him interim relief.

During proceedings, legal arguments were made regarding the admissibility of social media posts cited as evidence of defection. The matter remained under judicial consideration.

Tributes Pour In

Political leaders across party lines expressed condolences.

BJP leader Dilip Ghosh described Roy as an experienced politician and acknowledged his role in public life. He noted that Roy had been unwell for the past few years and unable to actively participate in politics.

Leader of Opposition in the West Bengal Assembly Suvendu Adhikari also expressed grief, offering condolences to Roy’s family and praying for peace for the departed soul.

Political Legacy

Mukul Roy was widely regarded as a strategist who played a key organisational role in shaping electoral politics in West Bengal over the past two decades.

His political journey — from Congress to TMC, then to BJP, and back to TMC — reflected the shifting alliances and intense competition in the state’s political landscape.

He is survived by his family, including his son Subhranshu Roy.

With his passing, West Bengal politics loses a seasoned leader who remained influential even during periods of illness and political turbulence.