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Mukul Roy
Mukul Roy, the backroom strategist once hailed as the 'Chanakya of West Bengal politics', died early on Monday after prolonged illness, ending a career which saw him both engineer and embody defections. One of the founding members of the TMC, his passing ends one of the most layered political journeys of post-Left West Bengal. Roy, who was born in Kanchrapara in North 24 Parganas district in 1954, began his political career with the Youth Congress in the 1980s. When Mamata Banerjee broke away from the Congress to form the Trinamool Congress in 1998, Roy was among the earliest to follow. Soft-spoken and meticulous organiser, he avoided rhetorical flourish. His domain was arithmetic, booth committees, district equations, ticket distribution and alliance management. Within a few years, he emerged as the party's general secretary and principal troubleshooter in Delhi. Elected to the Rajya Sabha in 2006 and re-elected later, Roy became the TMC's leader in the Upper House in 2009. In the
Veteran politician and former railway minister Mukul Roy died of cardiac arrest at a private hospital here on Monday, his family said. He was 71. Roy breathed his last at 1.30 am at the private hospital, his son Subhranshu Roy said, adding that he had been in a coma for the last several days. Roy was a founder member of TMC when the party was formed in 1998. Later, following differences with the party, he joined the BJP in 2017. Roy became an MLA from Krishnanagar Uttar constituency in the 2021 West Bengal assembly polls on a BJP ticket, but returned to the TMC after the polls. During his long political career, he served as the railway minister in 2011 in the UPA-2 government, when the TMC was part of the Centre. He was elected twice to the Rajya Sabha from West Bengal.
Mukul Roy needs medical attention, his son Subharanghsu said on Wednesday after the veteran politician from West Bengal expressed his desire to return to the BJP. Speaking to reporters, he said Roy's statement about returning to the BJP should not be taken seriously. "I have heard what my father said. He needs medical attention. He has physical and neurological problems. Those trying to use my father to serve their political interests should be ashamed of themselves," said Subharanghsu, who is a former MLA. "He is extremely unwell and suffers from dementia and Parkinson's disease," he added. Roy, an MLA from Krishnanagar Uttar, switched over to the TMC from the BJP along with his son after the 2021 assembly elections. Known for his electioneering skills, Roy joined the BJP in 2017, and played a key role in the party's 2019 Lok Sabha polls success in West Bengal. Since his return to the TMC, Roy has remained away from the public glare, mainly because of his health issues, which to
Veteran TMC leader Mukul Roy, who kept the political pundits guessing over his next move, on Tuesday night said he is still a BJP legislator and would like to meet Union Home Minister Amit Shah as he is keen on returning to the saffron camp. Roy, who on Monday night travelled to New Delhi for "some personal work", even as his family initially claimed that he was "missing", only to later accuse the BJP of indulging in dirty politics using the TMC leader who is unwell and not in the "right frame of mind". "I am a BJP legislator. I want to be with the BJP. The party has made arrangements for my stay here. I want to meet Amit Shah and speak to (party president) J P Nadda, he told a Bengali news channel late on Tuesday evening. The founding member of the TMC switched to the BJP in 2017. He won as a saffron party candidate in the 2011 West Bengal assembly election. He, however, returned to the Trinamool Congress soon after without resigning from the House. I was not keeping well for quit
Senior TMC leader Mukul Roy said he has reached New Delhi for some personal work, hours after his family claimed that he was "untraceable" since late Monday evening. Roy told reporters that he reached the national capital but had no specific agenda. "I have been an MP for several years. Can I not come to Delhi? Earlier, I used to come to Delhi regularly," Roy said. Although Roy has remained tightlipped about the agenda of his visit, the political circles in West Bengal were abuzz with speculations over his next political move. The former railway minister's son Subhragshu Roy lodged a police complaint, mentioning that his father was untraceable. Subhragshu had told PTI that his father was "untraceable" and "missing" since late Monday evening. Roy joined the BJP in 2017 following differences with the TMC leadership. He was made BJP national vice president in 2020. He won the 2021 assembly polls on a BJP ticket and later returned to the TMC just a month after the results were ...
The family members of senior TMC leader Mukul Roy have claimed he is "untraceable" since late Monday evening. The former railway minister's son Subhragshu told PTI that his father was "untraceable" and "missing" since late Monday evening. "Till now I am unable to contact my father. He is untraceable," Subhragshu, a TMC leader, said. Roy's close aides said he was scheduled to fly to Delhi Monday evening. "As of now we know that he was scheduled to land at Delhi Airport at around 9 PM. But he is not traceable," a close aide said. Roy, a former number two in the TMC, had joined BJP in 2017 following differences with the party leadership. He was made BJP national vice-president. Roy won the 2021 assembly polls on a BJP ticket and later returned to the TMC after the results were announced.
Eight BJP legislators on Tuesday resigned as heads of various Assembly panels in protest against MLA Mukul Roy's appointment as the chairman of the Public Accounts Committee (PAC). Leader of Opposition Suvendu Adhikari objected to Roy's elevation, arguing that the MLA, who had crossed over to the ruling TMC last month after winning the polls on a BJP ticket, cannot be considered a legislator of the saffron camp. As per norms, a legislator of the main opposition party is made the PAC chairperson, and Roy hasn't quit as a BJP MLA in the House, despite switching camps. Manoj Tigga, one of the saffron camp legislators, said after resigning from a standing committee that "Roy's appointment is undemocratic and a naked display of partisan politics. In protest, we have decided to step down..." Led by Adhikari, the eight MLAs, including Mihir Goswami, Bhisma Prasad Sharma and Tigga, later visited Raj Bhavan to apprise Governor Jagdeep Dhankhar of the "blatant violation of ...