The minister was admitted to SSKM Hospital for last one week following heart-related complications. He had undergone angioplasty and two stent were placed to clear blockages in his heart. He was scheduled to be discharged from the state-run hospital tomorrow. However, he suffered a massive cardiac arrest on Thursday evening and passed away at 9 22 pm.

Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee rushed to SSKM Hospital after learning about his passing. “I have seen many disasters in my life. But the passing away of Subrata Mukherjee is the biggest disaster in my life. A person of his stature, who loved the party and people of his constituency, will not come again. After I returned from Goa, I had met him at the hospital. He told me that he wants to resume his visits to the districts. Today I inquired about his health to the principal of SSKM Hospital who said that he will be discharged tomorrow. But he suffered a massive cardiac arrest in the evening. Doctors did their best to revive him but were unsuccessful,” Banerjee told reporters.

CM Mamata Banerjee at the SSKM hospital. (Express photo)

She also broke down while speaking to the reporters and added, “On this festival of lights, this feels like a massive darkness.”

Several cabinet ministers including Firhad Hakim, Chandrima Bhattacharya, Aroop Biswas, party MP Mala Roy and other leaders accompanied the chief minister.

A seasoned politician in its truest sense, Mukherjee started his political career as a student activist during his higher education in Kolkata when he joined the Chhatra Parishad in the 1960s. During this period he made the acquaintance of late Congress leader Priya Ranjan Dasmunsi

Mukherjee was considered one of the two close aides of former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi along with Dasmunsi.

In 1971 and 1972, Mukherjee was elected to the state Assembly from Ballygunge Assembly constituency. In 1972, Mukherjee at the age of 26, was appointed as Minister of State in the Siddhartha Shankar Ray ministry as Minister of Information and Cultural Affairs. He also held an additional responsibility as Minister of State for local government.

In 1999, Mukherjee joined Mamata Banerjee’s newly formed Trinamool Congress and was made the Mayor of Kolkata in 2000, as a Trinamool Congress candidate. He was credited of changing the city’s landscape with several development projects.

Mukherjee was also elected to the Assembly on a Trinamool Congress ticket in 2001 from Chowrighee. He also contested the Lok Sabha elections in 2004 from Calcutta North West constituency, but lost.

In 2005, Mukherjee quit Trinamool Congress following differences with Mamata Banerjee and joined the Nationalist Congress Party.

In May 2010, Mukherjee left the Indian National Congress again and rejoined Trinamool Congress, leaving the post of Pradesh Congress Working President. He contested the 2011 Assembly elections from the Ballygunge seat and won.

In 2011, after the Trinamool Congress won a majority in the West Bengal Legislative Assembly, he was made Minister for Public Health Engineering under Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee. In December 2011, he was given the additional charge of Panchayati Raj & Rural Development ministry. In February 2012, he was made the All India President of the INTTUC.

Mukherjee retained his Ballygunge seat in 2016 and 2021 Assembly polls. He was presently serving as state panchayat minister.

On 17 May 2021, Mukherjee, along with senior minister in the Mamata Banerjee cabinet Firad Hakim, MLA and former minister Madan Mitra and former Mayor of Kolkata Sovan Chatterjee was arrested by Central Bureau of Investigation in connection with the Narada sting operation. Later bail was granted to all of them.

“It is an irreparable loss. This void will never be filled. He was an inspiration to all of us. He was fine in the evening. He came from the bathroom and then suffered a massive cardiac arrest. Doctors could not revive him. We have no words to describe this loss,” said state minister Firhad Hakim.

Leaders from various political parties paid their condolence and tribute to the veteran politician.

State Congress president Adhir Chowdhury said, “This is end of an era. A person like him is rare to find in politics.”

West Bengal BJP president Sukanta Majumdar said, “It is a fall of a star. He become a state minister at the age of 26. He was a great politician and one of the few in Bengal qualified to become the chief minister. It is a massive loss. May his soul rest in peace.”

His body will be taken to Peace World late on Thursday night. His mortal remains will be kept at Rabindra Sadan from 10 am to 2 pm on Friday for people to pay their last respect. It will then be taken to the state assembly and later to his Ballygunge residence.