BJP names Koyal Mallick, Dinesh Arya as Rajya Sabha candidates

The Bharatiya Janata Party has announced its slate of candidates for Rajya Sabha bypolls, tapping former Trinamool Congress parliamentarian Koyal Mallick to contest from West Bengal and party stalwart Dinesh Arya from Uttarakhand. Mallick, a prominent Bengali film and television actress, previously served as a Rajya Sabha member on a TMC ticket before vacating her seat. The byelection to fill her Upper House position is scheduled for October 16. The BJP's move to field Mallick represents an effort to expand its political footprint in West Bengal, where the party has been seeking to challenge TMC dominance. Arya's candidacy from Uttarakhand underscores the party's focus on consolidating support in the northern state. The announcements come as the BJP intensifies its strategy to strengthen its Rajya Sabha presence ahead of key legislative sessions. Both candidates are expected to launch their campaigns in the coming days as the party mobilizes its organizational machinery for the bypolls.