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Actor Koel Mallick, whose real name is Rukmini Mallick, has formally joined the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and filed her nomination for the upcoming Rajya Sabha by-election in West Bengal.
Mallick joined the BJP on Monday morning before going to the West Bengal Assembly to submit her nomination papers. The party had announced her as its candidate for the by-election a day earlier.
The by-election, scheduled for October 16, is being held for the Rajya Sabha seat that Mallick vacated after resigning as a Trinamool Congress (TMC) member on July 16. She had been elected to the Upper House on a TMC ticket earlier this year and resigned before taking part in a parliamentary session.
Her decision to join the BJP had been the subject of speculation since her resignation. Shortly after stepping down, Mallick met Union minister and senior BJP leader Bhupender Yadav in Delhi, fuelling speculation about her political future.
The BJP’s decision to nominate her for the same seat she had previously held as a TMC member has now brought those developments to a conclusion.
Mallick was announced as a TMC Rajya Sabha candidate in February and took oath as a member on April 6 following the election in March. However, she resigned from the Upper House on July 16 without attending a parliamentary session.
The BJP has previously nominated former TMC leaders Sukhendu Sekhar Ray, Sushmita Dev and Prakash Chik Baraik for Rajya Sabha seats after they switched parties.
The October 16 by-election is among Rajya Sabha polls being held for multiple seats across India, including a by-election in West Bengal triggered by Mallick’s resignation.