Koel Mallick officially becomes a BJP member
Kolkata‑based film star Rukmini “Koel” Mallick, daughter of celebrated Bengali actor Ranjit Mallick, signed the Bharatiya Janata Party’s registration form on Monday. The timing was striking – the party had just declared her its nominee for the imminent West Bengal Rajya Sabha by‑election.
What the move means for her political trajectory
Addressing party leaders at the BJP state office, Mallick said the invitation to return to the Upper House felt like a “great honour” and an opportunity to serve the people of Bengal. She expressed gratitude to Prime Minister Narendra Modi and West Bengal Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari for the trust placed in her, and pledged to champion development projects across the state.
“I am eager to work for the welfare of every citizen and to contribute to West Bengal’s progress,” she told the press.
BJP West Bengal General Secretary Sashi Agnihotri welcomed her warmly, adding that she would soon submit her nomination papers for the vacant Rajya Sabha seat.
A snapshot of her political career
Mallick’s first term in the Rajya Sabha began on 6 April 2024 when she was sworn in as a Trinamool Congress (TMC) member. After the TMC’s loss in the state assembly elections, she resigned on 16 July, completing just over three months in the Upper House.
Her abrupt departure sparked widespread speculation, yet it also made her a prized recruit for the BJP, which is overhauling its West Bengal slate following the recent assembly verdict.
The upcoming by‑poll and its implications
The by‑election scheduled for 16 October will fill 12 Rajya Sabha seats spread across West Bengal, Uttar Pradesh and Uttarakhand. In Bengal, the BJP currently enjoys a comfortable majority in the state assembly, giving Mallick a statistical advantage for the seat she is contesting.
Her candidacy underscores a growing pattern of former TMC Rajya Sabha members defecting to the BJP and seeking a fresh mandate in Parliament.
