Archive · 4 Oct 2026
BJP Picks Koel Mallick for Bengal Rajya Sabha By-Election
The BJP chose Koel Mallick to run for a Rajya Sabha seat in West Bengal.
She had been a member of the Trinamool Congress and resigned from her Rajya Sabha seat in July.
That resignation created an empty seat that needs to be filled.
The election is planned for October 16.
Some opposition leaders questioned why the BJP chose someone who had been part of Trinamool.
The BJP said its leaders chose her after considering candidates.
The party also announced candidates for elections in Uttarakhand and Maharashtra.
The BJP named Rukmini Mallick, known as Koel Mallick, as its candidate for the West Bengal Rajya Sabha by-election.
Mallick resigned from the Trinamool Congress and her Rajya Sabha seat in July, leaving it vacant.
The Election Commission scheduled the by-election for October 16, alongside biennial polls for 11 Rajya Sabha seats.
West Bengal opposition figures criticized the BJP for choosing a former Trinamool member; the BJP said its leadership screened candidates and made an internal decision.
The BJP also named Dinesh Arya for Uttarakhand and three candidates for Maharashtra Legislative Council contests.
- Who
- The BJP and its candidate Rukmini Mallick (Koel Mallick); West Bengal opposition figures also commented on the choice.
- What
- The BJP nominated Mallick for the West Bengal Rajya Sabha by-election.
- When
- The nomination was announced Sunday; voting is scheduled for October 16, 2026.
- Where
- West Bengal, India.
- Why
- The by-election is needed because Mallick resigned from her Rajya Sabha seat in July.
Critics of the nomination
BJP's response
Choosing a former Trinamool member
Critics of the nomination
Congress and Trinamool figures questioned the BJP's choice, with Congress arguing that the party had failed to find a candidate from within and criticizing its selection of a former Trinamool member.
BJP's response
The BJP said the nomination was an internal decision made by its top leadership after discussion and screening, and said its selected candidates could speak for Bengal in Parliament.
- BJP candidate
- Rukmini Mallick, popularly known as Koel Mallick
- Previous affiliation
- Mallick resigned as a Trinamool Congress Rajya Sabha member in July and was described as having joined or switched to the BJP.
- Election date
- October 16, 2026
- Wider Rajya Sabha schedule
- Biennial elections for 11 seats, plus a by-election for one West Bengal seat
- Polling hours
- 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.; counting is scheduled to begin at 5 p.m.
- Opposition response
- West Bengal opposition figures questioned the BJP's choice of a former Trinamool member.
- BJP response
- A BJP spokesperson said the selection was an internal party decision made by its top leadership after discussion and screening.
