Actor Koel Mallick Joins BJP Fold; Scheduled To File Rajya Sabha Bypoll Papers Immediately

Bengali film actor Rukmini Mallick, popularly known as Koel Mallick, formally joined the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Monday, a day after the party nominated her as its candidate for the upcoming Rajya Sabha by-election in West Bengal. Mallick's entry into the BJP comes just months after she was elected to the Upper House as a Trinamool Congress (TMC) representative and subsequently resigned from the Rajya Sabha in July. The BJP has now fielded her for the October 16 by-election to the same seat, setting up a rapid political transition for the actor-turned-politician.

Welcoming Mallick into the party at its West Bengal headquarters in Kolkata, BJP state general secretary Sashi Agnihotri said she would file her nomination papers for the Rajya Sabha seat on Monday. Mallick said she considered the opportunity to enter the Upper House an honour and expressed her intention to work for public welfare. “It would be an honour for me to become a member of the Upper House of Parliament and get a chance to work for the welfare of the people,” she told reporters.

Mallick had taken oath as a TMC Rajya Sabha MP on April 6, 2026, but her tenure lasted only a few months. She resigned from the Upper House on July 16, without attending a Rajya Sabha session, according to reports. The resignation followed the TMC's setback in the West Bengal Assembly elections and was followed by speculation over her political future. The BJP subsequently selected her as its candidate after she switched from the TMC, paving the way for her possible return to Parliament on a BJP ticket.

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The Rajya Sabha by-election in West Bengal was necessitated by Mallick's resignation. The Election Commission has scheduled the by-election for October 16 as part of elections covering 12 Rajya Sabha seats across West Bengal, Uttar Pradesh and Uttarakhand. The BJP has also named Dinesh Arya as its candidate for a Rajya Sabha election in Uttarakhand. In Bengal, Mallick's candidature gives the actor an opportunity to return to the Upper House within months of leaving it as a TMC member.

Speaking after joining the BJP, Mallick said she wanted to contribute to development initiatives in West Bengal and work for the welfare of people. She also thanked Prime Minister Narendra Modi and West Bengal Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari for selecting her for the Rajya Sabha candidature. Her comments marked her first formal political positioning after switching parties and came as she prepared to submit her nomination papers for the by-election.

Mallick's move has attracted political reactions in West Bengal, particularly because of the short interval between her resignation from the TMC-held Rajya Sabha seat and her selection as the BJP candidate for the same constituency. TMC spokesperson Kunal Ghosh criticised the switch, while Mallick has said her focus is on contributing to the state's development and public welfare. The October 16 by-election will now determine whether she returns to the Rajya Sabha, this time representing the BJP after her brief stint as a TMC parliamentarian.

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