Mukul Roy, former railway minister and TMC strategist dies at 70

Veteran politician and former Union railway minister Mukul Roy died of cardiac arrest at Apollo Hospital in Salt Lake, Kolkata, at 1:30 am on Sunday. The news was confirmed by his son, Subhranshu Roy. He was 70.

Roy had represented Krishnanagar Uttar as a member of the West Bengal Legislative Assembly and had also been elected twice to the Rajya Sabha from West Bengal. Over a long political career spanning decades, he served as the 32nd Railway Minister of India and was among the founding members of the All India Trinamool Congress.

Mukul Roy: From Youth Congress to TMC strategist


Roy began his political journey in West Bengal as a member of the Youth Congress. Over time, he became closely associated with Mamata Banerjee during the formation of the Trinamool Congress. When the party was established, he played a key organisational role and was appointed national general secretary.

Also Read: SC stays Calcutta HC verdict disqualifying Mukul Roy as MLA for defecting to TMC

As the TMC expanded its footprint, Roy emerged as one of its principal faces in New Delhi. He was elected to the Rajya Sabha in 2006 and served as the party’s leader in the Upper House between 2009 and 2012.

Role in UPA Government

During the second term of the United Progressive Alliance (UPA II) government, Roy joined the Union Council of Ministers. He initially took charge as Minister of State for Shipping before being elevated in March 2012 as Railway Minister, succeeding his party colleague Dinesh Trivedi.

His tenure at the Railways came at a politically sensitive time, following Trivedi’s resignation after presenting a controversial railway budget.

Roy was stripped of his role as TMC’s national general secretary in February 2015. In November 2017, he joined the Bharatiya Janata Party, stating that people in West Bengal wanted an alternative to Mamata Banerjee’s leadership.

He contested the 2021 West Bengal Assembly elections on a BJP ticket from Krishnanagar Uttar and defeated TMC candidate Koushani Mukherjee. However, after four years with the BJP, Roy returned to the Trinamool Congress on June 11, 2021.

In November 2025, the Calcutta High Court ruled that Roy should be disqualified as an MLA under the anti-defection law, observing that his return to the TMC after being elected on a BJP ticket amounted to a breach of constitutional provisions.

Also Read: BJP's Mukul Roy disqualified from West Bengal Assembly under anti-defection law

However, the order was not immediately enforced.

In January 2026, the Supreme Court of India granted a stay on the High Court’s decision, allowing him to continue as a legislator pending further proceedings.