Mukul Roy Passes Away: Architect of TMC’s Rise and Ex-Railway Minister Dies at 71

Veteran politician Mukul Roy, a founding member of the Trinamool Congress (TMC), has passed away in Kolkata at 71. A key strategist, he was instrumental in the TMC's rise and served as India’s Railway Minister.

Mukul Roy, a veteran politician and one of the founding pillars of the Trinamool Congress (TMC), passed away in Kolkata at the age of 71, marking the end of a significant political era in West Bengal. Once considered the second-most powerful leader in the party after Mamata Banerjee, Roy played a crucial role in shaping TMC’s organisational and electoral strength at both state and national levels.

Born in West Bengal, Roy began his political career with the Congress before joining Mamata Banerjee in 1998 to establish the TMC. Over the years, he emerged as a trusted strategist and key troubleshooter, eventually becoming the party’s national general secretary. His influence extended to Delhi, where he served as a Rajya Sabha MP and later held ministerial roles in the UPA government, including a brief stint as India’s Railway Minister in 2012.

Roy’s political journey, however, was marked by dramatic shifts. After a fallout with the TMC leadership, he joined the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in 2017 and rose to become its national vice-president. In a surprising turn, he returned to the TMC in 2021, reflecting his complex and often controversial political trajectory.

In his later years, Roy remained largely inactive due to health issues, including neurological complications. Despite this, his legacy as a master political organiser and backroom strategist remained intact.

Mukul Roy’s death is seen as a major loss for West Bengal politics. He is remembered not just for holding key ministerial positions but for being one of the architects behind the rise of the TMC as a dominant political force in the state.