Business

Who is Mukul Roy

By Sreya Basu

Posted on November 6, 2017

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Senior politician Mukul Roy has finally joined Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), almost two months after resigning from West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee’s Trinamool Congress (TMC).

The former union minister joined the BJP in New Delhi on Friday evening (Nov 3), and said the party will soon come to power in West Bengal.

Here are some facts about Mukul Roy that you should know:

1. Born April 17, 1954, Mukul Roy completed his B.Sc from Calcutta University.

2. Mukul Roy debuted in politics as a Youth Congress leader and soon became close to Mamata Banerjee, who was then associated with Youth Congress.

3. He was one of the founding members of TMC, formed on Jan 1, 1998. His political expertise soon made him the party’s representative in New Delhi.

4. His political mentor Mamata Banerjee made him TMC general secretary in 2006.

5. Roy fought his first election from Jagatdal constituency during 2001 West Bengal Legislative Assembly polls.

6. He was elected to the Rajya Sabha (Upper House of Indian Parliament) in April 2006.

7. Roy was the Leader of Trinamool Congress in the Rajya Sabha from May 8, 2009 to Mar 20, 2012.

8. During the UPA-II government, Mukul Roy was first appointed Minister of State in the Ministry of Shipping. He then was made the Railway Minister after Mamata Banerjee resigned from the post to take over as West Bengal chief minister in 2011.

9. Split between Mamata Banerjee and BJP, Roy surfaced in 2015 when the latter’s name came up in the Saradha Group financial scam and Narada sting operation, where Roy and other TMC leaders were found taking bribes.

10. Mamata Banerjee suspended Mukul Roy from TMC for six years.

11. Soon, there were reports of Roy meeting senior BJP leaders like Union Finance Minister Arun Jaitley and party General Secretary Kailash Vijayvargiya.

12. Roy officially resigned from Trinamool Congress on Sept 25, 2017.

13. Ending all media speculation about his political alliance, Mukul Roy finally joined BJP on Nov 3, 2017.

Big Wire