Former Union Minister Mukul Roy Passes Away at 71; Bengal Politics Loses its ‘Chanakya’.

KOLKATA: Former Union Railway Minister and veteran politician Mukul Roy passed away in the early hours of Monday, February 23, 2026, at a private hospital in Kolkata. He was 71 years old. Roy, who had been battling prolonged health issues including brain-related ailments and diabetes, suffered a fatal cardiac arrest at around 1:30 AM, his son Subhranshu Roy confirmed. He had been away from active politics for the last few years due to his deteriorating health.

A founding member of the Trinamool Congress (TMC), Mukul Roy was once considered the second-most powerful leader in the party after Mamata Banerjee. Often referred to as the ‘Chanakya of Bengal politics,’ he was the principal strategist behind the historic 2011 election victory that ended 34 years of Left Front rule in West Bengal. During the UPA-2 government, he served as the Union Railway Minister and the Minister of State for Shipping. His political journey saw him move to the BJP in 2017, where he was instrumental in the party’s 2019 Lok Sabha success in Bengal, before returning to the TMC in 2021. His death marks the end of a pivotal era in West Bengal’s political landscape. (TNIE)

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