Archive · 5 Oct 2026
BJP Names Former Trinamool MP Koel Mallick for Rajya Sabha
Koel Mallick is an actor who was elected to India's Rajya Sabha in April as a member of the Trinamool Congress.
She resigned from the seat in July.
The BJP then announced her as its candidate for the election to fill the vacant West Bengal seat, and she joined the BJP and filed her nomination.
Voting and counting are scheduled for October 16, along with elections for 11 other seats.
The BJP is expected to win because of its numbers in the West Bengal Assembly.
One report says Mallick could win without an opponent.
Trinamool and CPM figures criticized the choice, while BJP member Rahul Sinha brushed off their objections.
Koel Mallick was elected to the Rajya Sabha on a Trinamool Congress ticket in April and resigned on July 16.
The BJP announced Mallick as its candidate for the West Bengal Rajya Sabha by-election; she later joined the party and filed her nomination.
Voting and counting for 12 Rajya Sabha seats, including the West Bengal seat, are scheduled for October 16.
The BJP is expected to win the seat based on its numbers in the West Bengal Assembly; one report says Mallick may win uncontested.
Trinamool leader Kunal Ghosh and CPM leader Sujan Chakraborty criticized the move, while BJP Rajya Sabha member Rahul Sinha dismissed the criticism.
- Who
- Koel Mallick, formerly a Trinamool Congress Rajya Sabha MP and now the BJP's candidate.
- What
- The BJP selected Mallick for the by-election to the West Bengal Rajya Sabha seat she resigned from; she joined the BJP and filed her nomination.
- When
- Mallick was elected in April and resigned on July 16; voting and counting are scheduled for October 16.
- Where
- The contest is for a West Bengal seat in India's Rajya Sabha.
- Why
- The seat became vacant after Mallick resigned. The articles report that the BJP expects to win based on its numbers in the West Bengal Assembly.
Critics
BJP response
Selecting a former Trinamool MP
Critics
Trinamool leader Kunal Ghosh called the move political hypocrisy and said such departures can undermine trust among grassroots loyalists. CPM leader Sujan Chakraborty also criticized the influence of former Trinamool figures in the BJP.
BJP response
BJP Rajya Sabha member Rahul Sinha told critics to consider their own dwindling relevance.
Candidate choice
Critics
An anonymous senior BJP figure said there had been pressure for the state party leadership to select someone from within its own ranks, and suggested the high command's decision overruled those objections.
BJP response
The BJP announced Mallick as its candidate. The articles do not report a detailed public explanation from the party for the choice.
- Candidate
- Koel Mallick
- Previous party
- Trinamool Congress
- Resignation
- July 16, according to one article
- Election date
- October 16
- Rajya Sabha seats in the elections
- 12: 10 in Uttar Pradesh, one in Uttarakhand and one in West Bengal
- West Bengal seat term
- Ends in April 2032, according to one article
- Rajya Sabha membership
- The House has a sanctioned strength of 245; 242 seats were filled and three were vacant, according to one article
- BJP Rajya Sabha membership
- 116 members, according to one article
