BJP names former Trinamool MP Koel Mallick as Rajya Sabha candidate in West Bengal

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Sunday named former Trinamool Congress Rajya Sabha MP Rukmini Mallick, popularly known as Koel Mallick, as its candidate for the Rajya Sabha by-election in West Bengal.

Mallick, who was elected to the Upper House on a Trinamool Congress ticket in March, resigned from the Rajya Sabha in July, leaving the seat vacant and necessitating a by-election.

Her nomination by the BJP comes amid growing indications of her political shift towards the saffron party. She had resigned from the Upper House on July 16 after meeting Vice President and Rajya Sabha Chairman C.P. Radhakrishnan in New Delhi. Her subsequent meeting with Union Minister Bhupendra Yadav further fuelled speculation about her political move.

The Election Commission of India (ECI) announced on September 22 that the Rajya Sabha elections for 11 seats, along with the by-election for the vacant West Bengal seat, would be held on October 16. The West Bengal by-election will coincide with Maha Sashthi, marking the beginning of Durga Puja festivities.

Mallick’s resignation was among a series of departures by former Trinamool Congress Rajya Sabha members following the party’s defeat in the West Bengal Assembly elections earlier this year.

Sukhendu Sekhar Roy, Sushmita Dev and Prakash Chik Baraik were among those who resigned from the Upper House and subsequently secured re-election as BJP candidates.

The Trinamool Congress had nominated Mallick for the Rajya Sabha in February along with former West Bengal Director General of Police Rajeev Kumar, former state Tourism Minister Babul Supriyo and Supreme Court advocate Menaka Guruswamy. All four were elected in March.

Mallick’s brief tenure in Parliament also drew attention as she did not attend a single Rajya Sabha sitting before resigning. Had she continued in office, the recently concluded Monsoon Session would have been her first opportunity to participate in parliamentary proceedings.

The BJP’s nomination now sets the stage for a contest for the vacant Rajya Sabha seat in West Bengal, with voting scheduled for October 16.