The BJP named Bengali actor Koel Mallick as its candidate for the West Bengal Rajya Sabha by-election scheduled for October 16.
Born Rukmini Mallick, she entered parliamentary politics through the TMC and took oath as a Rajya Sabha member on April 6.
She resigned on July 16 and is now contesting the same seat as the BJP’s nominee.
The movement of film personalities into electoral politics has often brought together the worlds of cinema and political parties. Bengali actor Rukmini Mallick AKA Koel Mallick is now at the centre of such a transition, with the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) naming her as its candidate for the Rajya Sabha by-election in West Bengal, less than three months after she resigned as a Trinamool Congress (TMC) MP.
Polling for the seat is scheduled for October 16. The nomination marks a new turn in the political journey of the actor, who entered active politics earlier this year.
Who Is Koel Mallick?
Born Rukmini Mallick, Koel belongs to one of Bengali cinema’s best-known families. Her father, veteran actor Ranjit Mallick, has been a familiar name in West Bengal’s film industry for decades.
Koel has spent more than two decades in Bengali cinema. She made her acting debut with Nater Guru in 2003 and went on to become one of the industry’s most recognisable leading ladies.
Despite her long career in films, Koel did not have an established political profile until this year, when the TMC nominated her for a Rajya Sabha seat. She entered in active politics around a month before her nomination.
How Did Koel Enter Politics?
The TMC’s outreach to Koel’s family began before her nomination. In January, the party’s national general secretary, Abhishek Banerjee, visited the residence of her father, Ranjit Mallick, in Kolkata. The visit was part of the party’s outreach to prominent personalities ahead of the West Bengal Assembly elections, reported News18.
The TMC subsequently nominated Koel to the Rajya Sabha. She took oath as a member of the Upper House on April 6.
However, her parliamentary tenure was brief. She resigned from the Rajya Sabha on July 16, just over three months after taking oath. She resigned without attending a single sitting of Parliament.
Her resignation came amid a difficult period for the TMC following its defeat in the West Bengal Assembly elections.
Koel’s next political move became a subject of speculation soon after she resigned. On the day of her resignation, she met Union minister and BJP leader Bhupender Yadav in Delhi.
A day later, Union minister Sukanta Majumdar indicated that she could return to the Rajya Sabha following a political realignment. At the time, however, the BJP had not formally announced her candidature.
TMC To BJP
Now the BJP on Sunday named Rukmini Mallick, popularly known as Koel Mallick, as its candidate for the West Bengal Rajya Sabha by-election. The seat had fallen vacant following her resignation from the Upper House in July.
Her nomination marks a significant political turnaround, with the actor moving from the TMC to the BJP within months of entering parliamentary politics. With polling scheduled for October 16, Koel’s candidature places her back in the race for a Rajya Sabha seat, this time as the BJP’s nominee.
