Bengali film actor Koel Mallick joined the Bharatiya Janata Party on October 5. She also filed her nomination for the Rajya Sabha seat she vacated in July.

Mallick, whose legal name is Rukmini Mallick, took party membership at the BJP state office in Salt Lake, Kolkata. State general secretary Shashi Agnihotri handed her the party flag. She then filed her nomination papers at the West Bengal Assembly the same day.

The BJP had named her as its candidate for the Rajya Sabha bypoll on October 4. The by-election for the vacant seat will be held on October 16.

Mallick was earlier a Trinamool Congress Rajya Sabha MP. The TMC nominated her in March 2026. She took oath on April 6 but resigned on July 16 without attending a single session of Parliament.

“I thank Prime Minister Narendra Modi and West Bengal Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari,” she said, calling the nomination “a massive responsibility.” She declined to criticise her former party. She said she wants to work for West Bengal’s development and stop educated youth from leaving the state for jobs.