Mukul Roy, Bengal’s Political Strategist and Former Railway Minister, Dies at 71

Mukul Roy: life and legacy. On 23 February 2026, a prominent figure in West Bengal politics, Mukul Roy, died of a long illness. He had an attack of cardiac arrest at a privately owned hospital in Kolkata. He was 71. The passing of his life signifies the rise and fall of political happenings that have bequeathed the political power struggles of almost forty years in this state. 

One of the pioneer leaders of the All India Trinamool Congress was Roy. He closely collaborated with Mamata Banerjee to establish a system of network of the party in the districts and villages. He was strong in organization. He knew local leaders, controlled the workers of the party and strategized politically in silence yet very well. This is why many referred to him as the Chanakya of the Bengal politics. 

He quit the TMC in 2017 and joined Bharatiya Janata Party. The move contributed significantly in the upsurge of BJP in Bengal particularly in the 2019 national elections where the party gained strong grounds in the state. Later, in 2021, he went back to the TMC, prompting a legal tussle under India’s anti-defection law. He was disqualified as a legislator by a High Court which was appealed by the Supreme Court who delayed the order to leave the question of the judging of switching party open. 

During his last years, Roy was experiencing severe illnesses, such as dementia, Parkinson, and brain surgery. Such problems made him inactive in politics. His biography is an example of how an Indian political system can be formed with help of strategy and loyalty and how power balances can become a-shambles in a short time.