Mukul Roy Profile: Former Railway Minister and senior leader Mukul Roy, who had deep influence in the politics of West Bengal, died at the age of 71. Mukul Roy, known as ‘Master of Strategy’ in West Bengal politics, was once counted among Mamata Banerjee’s most trusted associates. From setting up the organization to preparing the election strategy, his political journey gave a new direction to the politics of Bengal many times.
Mukul Roy, who was the second most powerful face of TMC for a long time, saw many stages in his nearly three decade long political career, Congress, Trinamool Congress, BJP and then again Trinamool Congress. But amid the changing political situation, his political shine gradually diminished.
Started with Youth Congress
Both Mukul Roy and Mamata Banerjee had their political beginnings with Youth Congress. Both progressed together in politics. When Mamata Banerjee founded TMC in January 1998, Mukul Roy was considered a strong pillar of the organization. Immediately after the formation of the party, he was made the General Secretary. He played an important role in building the organization up to the booth level in Bengal. This was the reason that within a few years he emerged as a prominent face in TMC’s central politics.
Became Railway Minister in 2012
In the year 2006, Mukul Roy reached Rajya Sabha for the first time. From 2009 to 2012, he was the leader of TMC in Rajya Sabha. He was made the first Minister of State for Shipping in the UPA-2 government. After this, he became Railway Minister in March 2012. Even though his tenure was short (from 20 March 2012 to 21 September 2012), during this time he took some decisions which are still remembered.
In those days, fare increase was a big issue in the railway budget. The then Railway Minister Dinesh Trivedi had increased the fares in many categories, which was opposed by TMC. After this Dinesh Trivedi had to step down and Mukul Roy got the responsibility of Railway Ministry. As soon as he assumed office, he withdrew the fare hike in Third AC, Sleeper and General classes except AC First and Second AC classes. This decision was considered in the interest of common passengers and it gained them a lot of popularity.
Another famous step of his as Railway Minister was ‘Gyan Uday Express’. This was a special educational train, which was run for about 1000 students of Delhi University. This train made the students travel to cities like Ahmedabad, Mumbai, Goa and Bengaluru. At that time this initiative was considered quite unique.
Joined BJP in 2017, then returned
The big turning point in Mukul Roy’s political life came in 2017, when he left TMC and joined BJP. In the 2021 assembly elections, he was elected MLA from Krishnanagar North on BJP ticket. His important contribution in strengthening the BJP organization was also considered. Although he returned to TMC immediately after the elections, his political hold was not as strong as before.
High Court’s decision and political silence
On 13 November 2025, the Calcutta High Court disqualified him from the post of MLA under the Anti-Defection Act. After this decision his public life almost became quiet. The influence of Mukul Roy, once known as ‘Chanakya’ in Bengal politics, gradually declined due to health and changing political developments. Nevertheless, his ability to build an organization and formulate election strategies will always be remembered in Bengal politics.
