Mukul Roy, former Railway Minister and Rajya Sabha MP, passed away early Monday morning at a private hospital in Kolkata. He was 71.

His son, Subhranshu Roy, said that Roy breathed his last around 1:30 am after battling multiple health complications for a prolonged period.

Roy was a founding member of the All India Trinamool Congress and was once regarded as the party’s second-in-command. He began his political career with the Indian National Congress before joining hands with Mamata Banerjee to establish the Trinamool Congress in 1998.

Over the years, Roy played a key role in strengthening the party’s organizational structure in West Bengal and at the national level. However, differences with the party leadership led to his exit, following which he joined the Bharatiya Janata Party.

In the 2021 West Bengal Assembly elections, he contested from the Krishnanagar North constituency on a BJP ticket and secured a victory. Shortly after the elections, Roy returned to the Trinamool Congress, marking another significant turn in his political journey.

His passing marks the end of a long and eventful career in Indian politics.