Archive · 5 Oct 2026
BJP Names Koel Mallick for West Bengal Rajya Sabha Seat
Koel Mallick is an actor known for Bengali films.
She became a member of India’s Rajya Sabha after being nominated by the Trinamool Congress, or TMC.
The articles say she took her oath on April 6, 2026, and resigned on July 16 without attending a session.
The BJP has now chosen her as its candidate for the seat she left.
Voting is scheduled for October 16, with nominations due by October 6.
TMC MLA Kunal Ghosh criticized her move to the BJP.
The articles describe the election as filling the seat she vacated, though one also calls it part of biennial polls.
The BJP has chosen Bengali actor Koel Mallick as its candidate for a West Bengal Rajya Sabha seat.
Mallick previously entered the Rajya Sabha as a Trinamool Congress member, nominated by Mamata Banerjee.
The articles say she took the oath on April 6, 2026, and resigned on July 16 without attending a session.
Voting is scheduled for October 16; nominations close October 6 and may be withdrawn until October 9.
TMC MLA Kunal Ghosh criticized Mallick’s move; the articles describe the vote as a by-election and as part of biennial polls.
- Who
- Bengali actor Koel Mallick, the BJP’s pick for a Rajya Sabha seat; TMC MLA Kunal Ghosh criticized her move.
- What
- The BJP has selected Mallick as its candidate for the West Bengal Rajya Sabha seat she vacated after resigning as a TMC MP.
- When
- She took the oath on April 6, 2026, resigned on July 16, and voting is scheduled for October 16.
- Where
- West Bengal, India.
- Why
- The election is to fill the Rajya Sabha seat left vacant by Mallick’s resignation.
Criticism of Mallick’s political switch
BJP’s nomination
Mallick’s move from TMC to BJP
Criticism of Mallick’s political switch
TMC MLA Kunal Ghosh criticized Mallick’s move, describing it as a political “flip” and saying people had leaned toward the BJP after it came to power.
BJP’s nomination
The BJP has chosen Mallick as its candidate for the Rajya Sabha seat; the articles do not provide a response from Mallick or the BJP to Ghosh’s criticism.
- Candidate
- Koel Mallick, also known as Rukmini Mallick
- BJP nomination
- Chosen as the BJP’s pick for a Rajya Sabha seat from West Bengal
- Previous affiliation
- She served as a Trinamool Congress member of the Rajya Sabha
- Oath
- April 6, 2026, according to the articles
- Resignation
- July 16; the articles say she resigned without attending a parliamentary session
- Election schedule
- Nominations close October 6; candidates may withdraw until October 9; voting is scheduled for October 16
- TMC criticism
- TMC MLA Kunal Ghosh criticized Mallick’s move to the BJP
