Former railway minister and Trinamool Congress leader Mukul Roy died of cardiac arrest early Monday. He was 71 and was undergoing treatment at Apollo Hospital in Kolkata. His son Subhranshu Roy confirmed the death.
Mukul Roy, known as the 'Chanakya' of Bengal politics, died of cardiac arrest around 1:30 am on February 23, 2026, at Apollo Hospital in Salt Lake, Kolkata. He was a senior Trinamool Congress (TMC) leader and once considered the party's number two, a close aide to Mamata Banerjee.
Roy's political career was eventful. Originally a Congress member before TMC's formation, he served as Minister of State in the Shipping and Railways Ministries during the UPA government led by Manmohan Singh. In 2017, he left TMC to join the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) ahead of the 2019 Lok Sabha elections. Elected as a BJP MLA in May 2021, he rejoined TMC in August 2021 in the presence of Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee and national general secretary Abhishek Banerjee.
BJP leader Dilip Ghosh described Roy as an experienced politician, stating, "He was an experienced politician. He became a Union Minister too. When he came to the BJP, he was given a lot of respect. From 2019-2021, he was with us. Later, he left the BJP and went to the TMC. For the last 2-3 years, he has been ill and could not actively participate in politics. I pray that his soul rests in peace."
Leader of Opposition Suvendu Adhikari posted on X, “Deeply disheartened to learn about the sad demise of Senior Politician; Shri Mukul Roy. My sincere condolences to his family. Praying that his soul attain eternal peace.”
Roy had been in and out of hospital over the last two years due to deteriorating health. He was also fighting a legal battle over his disqualification from the West Bengal Assembly following his switch back to TMC, with the Supreme Court staying a Calcutta High Court order in January.
