Senior politician Mukul Roy, who served as a former Railway Minister from West Bengal, passed away early Monday morning at a private hospital in Kolkata. Roy, aged 73, had been undergoing treatment for various medical issues and was unresponsive to the medical interventions, as confirmed by his family. His son, Subhranshu Roy, stated that Mukul Roy breathed his last a little after 1:30 a.m.
Mukul Roy, once the second-in-command in Trinamool Congress and a close confidant of Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, played a significant role in the formation of the party. He was among the key leaders who approached the Election Commission of India to establish the Trinamool Congress in the late nineties, under Mamata Banerjee’s leadership after her departure from Congress. Roy also held ministerial positions in the United Progressive Alliance (UPA)-II government.
Despite his initial association with Trinamool Congress, Roy gradually distanced himself from the party leadership, leading to his eventual switch to the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in 2017. He contested and won the 2021 West Bengal Assembly election as a BJP candidate but later rejoined Trinamool Congress after the party’s victory in the elections. His political journey was marked by shifts between different parties and positions, reflecting a colorful yet tumultuous career.
