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.
"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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Roy, a founder member of the TMC, was inducted into the party at BJP headquarters.
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?
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".
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.
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.
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.
Trinamool Congress chief Mamata Banerjee on Saturday carried out a major reshuffle in the party set-up
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.
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.
Railway Minister Mukul Roy on Monday said that some injured passengers and a gateman had heard a loud sound when the S-11 coach of Tamil Nadu Express caught fire, but refused to say at this stage whether he suspected sabotage
However, he made it clear that he would resign the moment Prime Minister Manmohan Singh or Mamata Banerjee ask him to do.
Railway Minister Mukul Roy on Monday said safety, security and punctuality are his priorities while asserting that the Railways would strive to achieve a better operating ratio.
After a five-day waiting game, Railways Minister Dinesh Tiwari has resigned, according to Trinamool Congress sources. Tiwari met with TMC chief Mamata Banerjee, and expressed his willingness to quit.
The development comes about a week after Roy said that the work has slowed down especially during the last eight to nine months apparently making a veiled attack on his predecessor, who is also a fellow party leader.
At least 26 trains were cancelled and 31 stopped at different stations due to violence in Assam, prompting Railway Minister Mukul Roy to seek enhanced security from Home Minister P Chidambaram for safety of over 30,000 passengers stranded midway.
Angry over the hike in passenger fares in the Railway Budget, Trinamool Congress chief Mamata Banerjee on Wednesday asked Prime Minister Manmohan Singh to remove her party nominee Dinesh Trivedi from the post of railway minister.
He was asked if there will be any roll back in the hike in passenger fares.
The party's national general secretary, Mukul Roy, said, "This government has no moral or ethical right to place a railway budget."
Roy's son Subhrangshu is also a Trinamool MLA from Bijpur constituency of North 24 Parganas.
Congress, which is an ally of the ruling Trinamool Congress in West Bengal, on Monday questioned the recurrence of train accidents and said the railway ministry was not safe in the hands of state Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee's party.
Seeking more funds, Railway Minister Mukul Roy requested Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee to provide additional allocation to meet the rising demands of the Railways to achieve efficiency and provide more safety.
Vimal Khumar and Pradosh Ranjan Paul struck massive hundreds as Tamil Nadu piled up 399 for two against Nagaland on the opening day of their Ranji Trophy Elite Group A match in Dimapur on Saturday.
The minister along with the senior officials visited the accident site where the Doon Express derailed on Thursday killing five persons and met the injured at the district hospital, official sources said.
If a minister does not have the freedom of expression, it is anything but democracy. It is a sad day for the very foundations of Indian democracy, former railway minister Dinesh Trivedi tells Neerja Chowdhury
This was on the expected lines after Trinamool Congress chief and West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee played a major role in getting the former Railway Minister Dinesh Trivedi resign.
"No one is above party discipline. Dinesh Trivedi did not consult me or Mukul Roy (the party all India general secretary)," party insiders quoted Banerjee telling the Trinamool Congress legislature party meeting ahead of the budget session of the West Bengal legislative assembly.
West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee has invited President Pranab Mukherjee to visit the state, Railway Minister Mukul Roy said on Wednesday.
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