Mukul Roy, the Chanakya of West Bengal politics

Mukul Roy is considered to be the Chanakya of West Bengal politics and was once the de-facto number two in the Trinamool Congress (TMC), next only to Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee in authority. The political career of this wily political veteran came full circle on Friday when he left the BJP and returned to the TMC.

Born on April 17, 1954, Roy became a close aid of Mamata in the Youth Congress, who was then a firebrand leader. Later, the duo, and several others, left the Congress and founded TMC in 1998.

Read | In massive jolt to BJP, Mukul Roy returns to Trinamool Congress

Roy rapidly rose through ranks in TMC and was appointed the general secretary in 2006. TMC sources said that the Chief Minister appreciated him for his political acumen and shrewd strategies. “He was basically the eyes and ears of Mamata Banerjee in the party and had great clout in the organisation,” a senior TMC leader said. Roy became the Union Railway Minister in 2012.

However, Roy’s relationship with the Banerjee turned frosty soon after his name cropped up in a CBI investigation in the Saradha scam following which he was suspended from the party. He joined the BJP in November 2017.

Also Read | Banerjee has won twice over, Modi has lost two times

He played a key role in BJP’s success in the last Lok Sabha elections and was made the saffron party’s national vice president. But sources in the saffron party said that the state BJP leadership never warmed up to him. They further revealed that Roy was never on cordial terms with the president of the state unit, Dilip Ghosh.

Sources close to Roy said that he was not happy with the way he was treated. “He wanted to play a key part in determining BJP’s strategy in the Assembly elections. But instead, he was made a candidate from Krishnanagar North, confining him to the constituency,” said a close associate of Roy.

He also said that Roy was not happy with the rising influence of Suvendu Adhikari in the party.