Bengali film actor Koyel Mallick has joined the Bharatiya Janata Party and is set to contest the upcoming Rajya Sabha bypoll from West Bengal. Her entry into the BJP comes a day after the party announced her as its candidate for the Upper House seat. The development marks a significant political shift for the actor, who had earlier served as a Rajya Sabha member representing the Trinamool Congress for a brief period.
Mallick, whose full name is Rukmini Mallick, joined the BJP in Kolkata on October 5. The party welcomed her into its ranks after announcing her candidature for the Rajya Sabha election. West Bengal BJP general secretary Sashi Agnihotri said Mallick would file her nomination for the Rajya Sabha seat.
Mallick had entered active politics earlier this year when she was nominated by the Trinamool Congress for the Rajya Sabha. She took oath as a member of the Upper House on April 6, 2026. However, her tenure was short lived, and she resigned from the Rajya Sabha on July 16. Her resignation came following the Trinamool Congress’s setback in the West Bengal Assembly elections.
The actor’s decision to join the BJP has therefore attracted considerable political attention in West Bengal. Her move comes at a time when the state’s political landscape has undergone major changes following the 2026 Assembly elections. The BJP has formed the government in the state, while the Trinamool Congress has moved into the opposition.
Speaking after joining the BJP, Mallick said that becoming a member of the Upper House of Parliament would be an honour. She also expressed her desire to work for the welfare of the people. Her comments came during a press conference at the BJP’s state headquarters in Kolkata.
Mallick also said she wanted to contribute to development initiatives in West Bengal. She thanked Prime Minister Narendra Modi and West Bengal Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari for selecting her as the BJP’s candidate for the Rajya Sabha seat.
The upcoming Rajya Sabha election is particularly significant because the vacancy was created after Mallick herself resigned from the Upper House in July. The Election Commission has scheduled the polling for October 16. The election will fill the vacant Rajya Sabha seat from West Bengal.
Mallick’s political journey has been unusually short but closely watched. She entered the political arena after building a long career in Bengali cinema. She is the daughter of veteran Bengali actor Ranjit Mallick and is one of the well known faces of the Bengali film industry.
Her first major political assignment came when the Trinamool Congress nominated her for the Rajya Sabha earlier this year. At the time, her nomination was seen as an entry into active politics after years in the film industry. She took oath as an MP in April but resigned only a few months later. Reports noted that she did not attend a Rajya Sabha sitting during her brief tenure.
Her resignation in July came at a politically important moment for the Trinamool Congress. The party had suffered a major setback in the West Bengal Assembly elections, after which several political developments affected its representation in Parliament. Mallick’s resignation added to the political uncertainty surrounding the party’s Rajya Sabha strength.
The BJP subsequently selected her for the same Upper House vacancy. With the BJP holding a majority in the West Bengal Assembly, reports have described her election prospects as favourable. However, the formal process still includes nomination filing, scrutiny and polling according to the election schedule.
The nomination also highlights the BJP’s attempt to bring prominent public figures into its political fold in West Bengal. Mallick is a recognised face in Bengali cinema and has a substantial public profile. Her entry could therefore attract attention beyond the immediate Rajya Sabha election.
At the same time, her move from the Trinamool Congress to the BJP is likely to remain a subject of political discussion. Mallick has said that she wants to contribute to the welfare of people and support development efforts in West Bengal. She has also defended her decision to join the BJP when questioned about criticism over her political transition.
The Rajya Sabha bypoll is scheduled for October 16. The election will take place among members of the West Bengal Legislative Assembly, who will vote to fill the vacant seat. The result will determine who represents the state in the Upper House for the remaining term of the seat.
For Koyel Mallick, the election represents a new phase in her political career. She has moved from Bengali cinema to Parliament and then from the Trinamool Congress to the BJP within a short period. If elected, she will return to the Rajya Sabha after resigning from the same House only a few months earlier.
The development is also being watched in the context of the BJP government’s first year in West Bengal. The party has been seeking to strengthen its political organisation and broaden its public outreach after taking power in the state. Mallick’s inclusion adds a well known cultural figure to its political campaign and parliamentary team.
For the Trinamool Congress, her move represents another high profile political transition following the party’s electoral setback. For the BJP, her candidature provides an opportunity to present a prominent Bengali cultural personality as its candidate for the Upper House.
The final outcome will be known after the October 16 Rajya Sabha bypoll. Until then, the focus will remain on the nomination process, the campaign and the voting by elected members of the West Bengal Assembly.
