Kolkata, Feb. 24 -- Former Union railway minister and founding member of the Trinamool Congress (TMC), Mukul Roy, died at a Kolkata hospital in the early hours of Monday. He was 71. The veteran leader breathed his last around 1.30am at a hospital in Salt Lake, his son Subhranshu Roy said. "He was suffering from multiple ailments, including Parkinson's disease, and had undergone three surgeries. He was admitted to the hospital for over two years and was in a coma," he added. His remains were taken to the state assembly premises on Monday, where leaders across political lines paid respects. Known for his election management skills, Mukul Roy was a close confidante of West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee and was often referred to as the "Chanakya" in West Bengal politics. Banerjee described his trusted lieutenant as her "long-time political colleague and a comrade-in-arms in political struggles". "The late Mukul Roy devoted his life to the party [TMC] from the very inception... He served as a Union minister and enjoyed acceptability across all levels of the party," she said on X in Bengali. "His contributions to Bengal's politics and his organizational acumen are unforgettable. Regardless of party affiliations, the political circles will feel his absence." Prime Minister Narendra Modi expressed his condolences, saying on X: "Pained by the passing of former Union Minister Shri Mukul Roy Ji. He will be remembered for his political experience and efforts to serve society. Condolences to his family and supporters. Om Shanti." TMC national general secretary Abhishek Banerjee described Roy as a founding pillar of their party. "The demise of Mukul Roy marks the end of an era in Bengal's political history. A veteran leader with vast experience. His contributions helped shape an important phase of the state's public and political journey," he said on X, adding that Roy was instrumental in expanding and consolidating the TMC during its formative year West Bengal Leader of Opposition and Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Suvendu Adhikari condoled Roy's death. "Deeply disheartened to learn about the sad demise of senior politician, Shri Mukul Roy. My sincere condolences to his family," he said on X. Roy began his political career as a Youth Congress leader in the 1980s. He was a founding member of TMC, which was formed in 1998 as a breakaway faction of Congress led by Mamata Banerjee. He served as the Union Minister of State (MoS) for shipping and then as railway minister during the second Congress-led United Progressive Alliance government. In 2016, he was embroiled in a controversy after a news portal uploaded videos purportedly showing TMC leaders, including Roy, receiving money in exchange for providing favours to a fictitious company before the assembly polls that year. His name also cropped up in the Saradha Group financial scandal. In the aftermath, Roy quit as an MP and resigned from TMC's primary membership in October 2017, a month after the TMC suspended him for six years for "anti-party" activities. He joined the BJP the same year. Roy later returned to the TMC in 2021....