Business · India Bureau
Bengali actress Koel Mallick joins BJP for Rajya Sabha seat in West Bengal
Actor-turned-politician Koel Mallick has secured the Bharatiya Janata Party's nomination for the Rajya Sabha from West Bengal, marking her second major political transition in as many months. The move comes roughly 60 days after her exit from the Trinamool Congress.
LSN India ·
Koel Mallick, a prominent figure in Bengali cinema, has been fielded by the BJP as a Rajya Sabha candidate from West Bengal, signalling the saffron party's continued efforts to expand its political footprint in the state. Her nomination represents a rapid shift in her political trajectory following her recent departure from the Trinamool Congress.
Mallick's entry into active politics came earlier this year when she joined the TMC and received a nomination to contest for the upper house of Parliament. However, her association with Mamata Banerjee's party proved short-lived, lasting approximately two months before she switched allegiances to the BJP.
The actor's political journey reflects the evolving dynamics of West Bengal politics, where the contest between the BJP and TMC has intensified significantly in recent years. Her switch to the BJP underscores the party's strategy of recruiting prominent faces from the entertainment and celebrity circuits to bolster its political presence in the eastern state.
Mallick's Rajya Sabha candidature will require approval from eligible legislators in the state assembly, where both the TMC and BJP hold significant numbers of seats. Her nomination is expected to add a new dimension to the ongoing political contest in West Bengal ahead of the upper house elections.