Bengali film actor Koyel Mallick joins BJP, day after party fields her for Rajya Sabha polls

Kolkata: Bengali film actor Rukmini Mallick, popularly known as Koyel Mallick, on Monday submitted her nomination as the BJP candidate for the upcoming Rajya Sabha polls in the presence of West Bengal Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari and the party's state president Samik Bhattacharya.

She joined the BJP at its state headquarters here earlier on Monday, a day after the party fielded her for the polls.

The daughter of veteran Bengali film actor Ranjit Mallick had a short stint as a TMC Rajya Sabha MP from April 6 to July 16. She resigned after the Mamata Banerjee-led party's electoral debacle in the assembly elections.


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Koyel Mallick submitted her nomination in the office of the Assembly's principal secretary at the Vidhan Sabha Bhavan, an official said. CM Adhikari and Samik Bhattacharya, who is also a Rajya Sabha member, accompanied Mallick when she submitted her nomination papers.

Exuding full confidence in Mallick's victory, the chief minister in a social media post said, "I congratulate and offer best wishes to her in advance." Adhikari also presented Mallick with a framed photograph of Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose at his office in the assembly.

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Senior ministers Tapas Roy and Sankar Ghosh were also present when Mallick submitted her nomination paper.

Elections to 12 Rajya Sabha seats across Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand and West Bengal will be held on October 16. The BJP has a clear majority in the West Bengal Assembly.