Veteran politician and former railway minister Mukul Roy, a key figure in West Bengal politics, has died due to cardiac arrest, marking the end of a significant era.
The Calcutta High Court has cancelled the membership of senior leader Mukul Roy in the West Bengal assembly under the anti-defection law, marking a significant moment in Indian jurisprudence.
The Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Thursday issued summonses to two Trinamool Congress leaders, including MP and popular Bengali actor Dev, for questioning in connection with its probes into money laundering cases, an official said.
Though he has physically improved, his doctors remained unsure of his mental functioning.
A Bharatiya Janata Party leader, who the Trinamool Congress said is a brother-in-law of the saffron party's national vice-president Mukul Roy, rejoined the ruling party of West Bengal on Wednesday.
Adhikari had demanded Roy's resignation under the anti-defection law, pointing out that the latter joined the TMC despite winning the assembly polls from the Krishnanagar Uttar assembly constituency on a BJP ticket.
BJP's Adhikari said that an opposition MLA is usually appointed as the PAC chairperson following the norm, but the TMC misused that rule to appoint Roy as its chairman.
"I have already said whatever I have had to say. Now the government has to decide. Mukul Roy will be our candidate for the Railway minister," Mamata said during the filing of nominations for Rajya Sabha elections by Roy, the Union minister of state for Shipping, and three others.
Although Roy has remained tightlipped about the agenda of his visit, the political circles in West Bengal were abuzz with speculations over his next political move.
PMO officials said while they had got a request from Trinamool Congress MPs for a meeting with the PM, no letter recommending Trivedi's replacement had been received till late Wednesday night.
Veteran Trinamool Congress leader Mukul Roy, who has expressed his desire to work for the Bharatiya Janata Party in future, on Wednesday said he is a soldier of the saffron camp, and there is no question of resigning from the Trinamool Congress as he was never 'mentally' with the party even after rejoining it in 2021.
In a blow to the prestige of the saffron brigade, Bharatiya Janata Party's national vice president Mukul Roy along with son Subhranshu, rejoined the Trinamool Congress on Friday, with Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee and other leaders of the state's ruling party welcoming the prodigal back to the fold.
Roy, the former second-in-command of the TMC who joined the saffron party in November 2017, has been distancing himself from the BJP for the last several days.
All eyes are now on the low profile Mukul Roy, Trinamool Congress general secretary and Minister of State for Shipping.
All eyes are now on the low profile Mukul Roy, Trinamool Congress general secretary and Minister of State for Shipping.
Those trying to use my father to serve their political interests should be ashamed of themselves, Mukul Roy's son said.
He had a contingent of about 22-24 armed CRPF commandos who used to move with him every time he travelled in West Bengal.
Speculation is rife that beleaguered Mukul Roy, a close aide of West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee and under the CBI scanner in the Saradha chit fund scam, may switch over to the BJP. Neither Roy or the BJP have commented on the rumours. But Roy's recent remarks seems to expose him. Sheela Bhatt and Indrani Roy report.
Trinamool Congress General Secretary and Minister of State for Shipping, Mukul Roy will be the new Railway Minister.
A day before she takes oath as the first woman chief minister of West Bengal, Mamta Banerjee resigned from the Union Council of Ministers where she was the Railway minister.
Roy's comments comes amid several TMC councillors returning to the party after switching to the BJP.
Union ministers Vilasrao Deshmukh, Rajiv Shukla, Mukul Roy and Bharatiya Janata Party leader Arun Jaitley were on Thursday elected unopposed to Rajya Sabha even as Non-resident Indian businessman Anshuman Mishra in Jharkhand and Congress leader Abdul Mannan in West Bengal withdrew from fray.
Trinamool Congress on Saturday removed Mukul Roy, a former confidante of Mamata Banerjee, from the key post of party general secretary.
Roy, a founder member of the TMC, was inducted into the party at BJP headquarters.
Trinamool Congress leader Mukul Roy was on Tuesday elevated to Cabinet rank to take over as Union railway minister replacing Dinesh Trivedi, who was forced to resign after Congress caved in to Mamata Banerjee's pressure.
Railway Minister Mukul Roy on Tuesday blamed the van driver for the major accident at an unmanned level crossing near Hathras in Uttar Pradesh, which claimed 16 lives. In his first statement in Parliament after assuming office, Roy said Rs two lakh have been announced for the next of the kin of the deceased and Rs 50,000 to the grievously injured, besides Rs 25,000 to those with minor injury. Sixteen people were killed and three others seriously injured.
What Roy is planning is not known. Will he side with the BJP, which he calls 'non-communal'? Or will he float a party? Or revive the Nationalist TMC to further his political career?
Union ministers Vilasrao Deshmukh and Mukul Roy, actor-turned-politician Jaya Bachchan and Bharatiya Janata party leader Vinay Katiyar were among eight candidates who filed their nomination papers on Saturday for the Rajya Sabha biennial polls. The last day for filing of nominations for the March 30 elections is March 19. All the eight candidates filed their papers before the Returning Officers of the state assemblies concerned.
Trinamool Congress General Secretary Mukul Roy on Friday presented himself before the CBI team to face interrogation in connection with the Saradha scam. Roy, former Railway Minister, arrived at the main gate of the CGO Complex and walked down to the CBI office.
Leader of Opposition Suvendu Adhikari objected to Roy's elevation, arguing that the MLA, who had crossed over to the ruling Trinamool Congress last month after winning the polls on a BJP ticket, cannot be considered a legislator of the saffron camp.
The state BJP unit, which was divided till last week on the question of inducting Roy into the party, has given up its reservations due to the keenness of the leadership, the sources said.
Trinamool Congress chief Mamata Banerjee on Saturday carried out a major reshuffle in the party set-up
A man who questioned West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee at a public meeting about what steps she was taking to help farmers has been arrested by the police. The man -- Siladitya Chowdhury -- had told the chief minister at her public meeting at the former Maoist stronghold of Belpahari on August 8 that farmers were dying. He had asked her what steps her government was taking since "empty promises were not enough".
"It will throw some light on the investigation," he said.
Roy said he would give an explanation on why he was leaving the party and why he was 'forced to do so' after Durga Puja.
Claiming that Trinamool Congress would decide the fate of next government at the Centre, party general secretary Mukul Roy on Monday said the Mamata Benerjee-led outfit was all set to emerge as the third largest party after the Lok Sabha elections.
Nearly two days after over 30 people lost their lives in a fire onboard the Tamil Nadu Express at Nellore, Railways Minister Mukul Roy did not rule out sabotage in the incident.
The Supreme Court Monday rued the 'general practice' of speakers delaying decisions on pleas seeking disqualification of lawmakers and the subsequent arguments that courts should 'stay away,' while hoping that the West Bengal assembly speaker would decide on such a plea against Mukul Roy who defected to the Trinamool Congress from the Bharatiya Janata Party after the state polls.
Ahead of submitting his resignation, Railway Minister and Trinamool Congress leader Mukul Roy on Friday said the Congress-led United Progressive Alliance-II government no longer had the moral right to continue in power.
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