Archive · 13 Nov 2025
Calcutta High Court Disqualifies TMC Leader Mukul Roy as MLA
A politician named Mukul Roy won an election to become a representative for the BJP party.
However, shortly after winning, he switched to a different party, the TMC, even though he won his seat as a BJP member.
The rules against switching parties, called the anti-defection law, say this isn't allowed.
Some other politicians complained about this.
The head of the Assembly, the Speaker, initially said it was okay.
But, a court called the Calcutta High Court looked at the case.
The court decided that switching parties like that was against the rules.
So, they disqualified Mukul Roy, meaning he can no longer be a representative for that seat.
This is ironic because Mukul Roy was known for helping politicians switch parties in the past.
The court also noted that he has been very sick and inactive in politics since 2021.
The seat he represented is now empty, but since a new election is coming up soon, they won't hold a special election for it.
Calcutta High Court disqualified senior TMC leader Mukul Roy as an MLA under the anti-defection law.
Roy, who won the Krishnanagar North seat on a BJP ticket in 2021, defected to the TMC on June 11, 2021.
The court found the Speaker's prior decision that Roy remained a BJP MLA despite his public switch to TMC to be 'perverse'.
The disqualification carries political irony as Roy was known for orchestrating defections in West Bengal politics for decades.
Roy has been inactive in politics and hospitalized since 2021 due to ill health, making the verdict a poignant full-circle moment.
- Who
- Mukul Roy (senior TMC leader, former MLA), Calcutta High Court, Speaker Biman Banerjee, CPI(M) and Congress leaders
- What
- The Calcutta High Court disqualified Mukul Roy as an MLA under the anti-defection law. The court deemed his defection from the BJP to the TMC after winning the Krishnanagar North seat on a BJP ticket a violation.
- When
- The disqualification order was passed on Thursday, November 13, 2025. Roy defected on June 11, 2021. He has been inactive in politics since 2021 due to ill health and is currently hospitalized.
- Where
- West Bengal Legislative Assembly, Krishnanagar North constituency.
- Why
- Mukul Roy was disqualified for defecting from the BJP to the TMC after winning an election as a BJP candidate, which contravenes the anti-defection law. The court also found the Speaker's earlier decision upholding Roy's status as a BJP MLA to be flawed.
CPI(M) and Congress Perspective
Assembly Speaker's Stance
Role in Defections
CPI(M) and Congress Perspective
CPI(M) and Congress leaders allege that Mukul Roy, with the backing of TMC leadership, engineered numerous defections from their parties into TMC and later into BJP. They claim he made a mockery of people's verdicts by facilitating turncoats to continue in the Assembly without resigning, highlighting his mastery of the defection art.
Assembly Speaker's Stance
The Speaker, Biman Banerjee, stated he would review the court's order and mentioned that he had acted 'with due consideration' in his previous decisions.
Legitimacy of Defections and Anti-Defection Law
CPI(M) and Congress Perspective
The opposition parties view Roy's past actions as undermining democratic processes and the anti-defection law. They pointed to specific instances of engineered defections in Zilla Parishads and among legislators after the 2013 rural polls and during the 2011-2016 period.
Assembly Speaker's Stance
The court found the Speaker's previous decision, which suggested Roy remained a BJP MLA despite publicly returning to the TMC, to be 'perverse'. The Speaker, however, indicated he would examine the order, possibly suggesting a different interpretation of the events or the law.
- Politician
- Mukul Roy
- Party Affiliation
- Trinamool Congress (TMC)
- Constituency
- Krishnanagar North
- Original Party
- Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)
- Date of Defection
- June 11, 2021
- Court Ruling
- Disqualified as MLA under anti-defection law
- Reason for Disqualification
- Defecting from BJP to TMC after winning on BJP ticket
- Assembly Term End
- 2026
Sources
Calcutta HC cancels Mukul Roy's Bengal Assembly membership under anti-defection law
Calcutta HC disqualifies TMC leader Mukul Roy's West Bengal Assembly membership. Here's why
HC disqualifies Mukul Roy as MLA under anti-defection law
Favourable court verdicts add spring in TMC step: ‘Politics all about perception’
Cal HC disqualifies Mukul Roy as member of WB Assembly, sets aside nomination as PAC chairman
Calcutta HC disqualifies Mukul Roy as MLA in Bengal Assembly with effect from 2021
Telangana: TMC MLA Mukul Roy’s disqualification makes BRS hopeful
Calcutta High Court disqualifies TMC’s Mukul Roy as MLA for defecting from BJP
Trinamool's Mukul Roy Disqualified As MLA After BJP Goes To Court
Calcutta HC Disqualifies Mukul Roy as MLA for Defection