Koyel Mallick Enters BJP and Files Rajya Sabha Nomination in Presence of Suvendu Adhikari

Kolkata: Bengali film actress Rukmini Mallick, popularly known as Koyel Mallick, filed her nomination as the BJP candidate for the upcoming Rajya Sabha polls on Monday, hours after joining the party.
Mallick submitted her nomination papers at the office of the Assembly’s principal secretary at Vidhan Sabha Bhavan. She was accompanied by West Bengal Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari and state BJP president Samik Bhattacharya, who is also a Rajya Sabha member.
The actress joined the BJP at the party’s West Bengal headquarters earlier on Monday, a day after the party announced her candidature for the Rajya Sabha election. BJP West Bengal general secretary Sashi Agnihotri had said that Mallick would file her nomination on Monday.
Mallick is the daughter of veteran Bengali film actor Ranjit Mallick. She had earlier served as a Trinamool Congress Rajya Sabha MP for a short period, from April 6 to July 16. She resigned from the Upper House after the Mamata Banerjee-led party’s electoral setback in the Assembly elections.
After submitting her nomination, Mallick said it would be an honour to become a member of the Upper House and get an opportunity to work for the welfare of the people.
West Bengal Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari expressed confidence in Mallick’s victory and congratulated her in advance in a social media post. He also presented her with a framed photograph of Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose at his office in the Assembly.
Senior ministers Tapas Roy and Sankar Ghosh were also present when Mallick submitted her nomination papers.
The Rajya Sabha elections for 12 seats across Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand and West Bengal are scheduled for October 16. The BJP has a clear majority in the West Bengal Assembly.
The West Bengal contest is a by-election for the seat that fell vacant following Mallick’s resignation from the Rajya Sabha on July 16. Her original term was scheduled to continue until April 2, 2032.