Ex-Railway Minister And Once 'Chanakya Of Politics' Mukul Roy Dies At 71

Former Railway Minister and once Trinamool Congress' second in command, Mukul Roy, dies of heart attack at 71.

Roy was admitted at a private hospital in Kolkata and breathed his last around 1.30 am.

"He was undergoing treatment at a private hospital. It was around 1.30 am last night he had a massive heart attack which he could not survive in spite of the efforts by doctors," his son Subhrangshu Roy said. 

The one-time 'Chanakya of Bengal politics' had been ill for a long time due to multiple physical problems, including kidney problems. He had to be hospitalised from time to time. He breathed his last late on Sunday night while undergoing treatment at a private hospital in Kolkata.

Roy was one of the founding members of the Trinamool Congress party. Mamata Banerjee's close confidant saw a lot of ups and downs in his life and in his political career.

He has also served as a Minister of State in the Shipping Ministry and later the Ministry of Railways during the second UPA government. Before the creation of Trinamool Congress, he was a member of the Indian National Congress. Between 2017 and 2021, Roy left Trinamool Congress to join Bharatiya Janata Party. 

After switching parties from Trinamool to BJP before the 2021 assembly polls due to the distance with the new functionaries of the party, Roy played a key role in BJP. Mukul contested elections on a BJP ticket from the Krishnanagar North constituency in 2021. He won and was elected as an MLA. Later, he rejoined Trinamool. However, he did not resign from the post of MLA.

He was unwell for a long time and kept himself away from mainstream politics.