Story perspectives

Koel Mallick joins BJP for West Bengal Rajya Sabha by-poll

By Drooid · Oct 6, 2026, 6:22 PM UTC · How we work

Left

BJP coercion claim

Koel Mallick, a Trinamool Rajya Sabha MP, joined the BJP and was nominated for West Bengal’s Rajya Sabha by-poll on 16 October 2026.
The switch is presented as evidence of BJP coercion and TMC turmoil, sparking worries about pressure on opposition lawmakers.
After resigning, she met BJP Union Minister Bhupender Yadav in Delhi, fueling speculation.
Sukhendu Sekhar Ray, Sushmita Dev and Prakash Chik Baraik quit TMC, joined BJP, re-elected unopposed.

Right

Actor daughter resigns

Koel Mallick, former Trinamool Congress Rajya Sabha MP, joined the BJP and was nominated for the West Bengal Rajya Sabha by-poll on 16 October 2026.
The candidate praised BJP’s development agenda, thanked Prime Minister Narendra Modi and West Bengal Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari, and said she will help improve Bengal’s welfare.
She is veteran actor Ranjit Mallick’s daughter.
Her service as a TMC MP spanned 6 April–16 July 2026; she resigned after the election loss.

Center

Party favoritism backlash

Koel Mallick, a Trinamool Congress Rajya Sabha MP, joined the BJP and was nominated for West Bengal’s Rajya Sabha by-poll on October 16, 2026.
BJP members criticised the party for favoring recent TMC defectors like Mallick over long-standing BJP workers.
Mallick resigned from Rajya Sabha July 16, 2026, after being sworn in April 6 and missing all sessions.
The Election Commission set the West Bengal Rajya Sabha by-election for October 16, with nominations due October 6.

Blindspot

About 60 of the Trinamool Congress’s 80 legislators have rebelled, installing Ritabrata Banerjee as opposition leader, a development portrayed as evidence of internal party turmoil and alleged BJP coercion.
Within this story's sources, this angle appears mainly in Left-leaning coverage and receives less attention in Center- and Right-leaning coverage.

History

Historical Context

In the 1999 general election, the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance captured 299 Lok Sabha seats, delivering the first stable non-Congress government since 1984. That victory built on post-Kargil popularity and a wave of defections that weakened the Congress, establishing a pattern of party-switching as a tool. In October 2026, actress-politician Koel Mallick and TMC MP Sukhendu Sekhar Ray joined the BJP, prompting the Election Commission to consider stricter anti-defection rules.

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BJP coercion claim

Koel Mallick, a Trinamool Rajya Sabha MP, joined the BJP and was nominated for West Bengal’s Rajya Sabha by-poll on 16 October 2026.
The switch is presented as evidence of BJP coercion and TMC turmoil, sparking worries about pressure on opposition lawmakers.
After resigning, she met BJP Union Minister Bhupender Yadav in Delhi, fueling speculation.
Sukhendu Sekhar Ray, Sushmita Dev and Prakash Chik Baraik quit TMC, joined BJP, re-elected unopposed.

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