In another setback for the Mamata Banerjee-led Trinamool Congress (TMC), actor-turned-politician Koel Mallick officially resigned from the Rajya Sabha on Thursday. The sudden move has triggered a wave of speculation: Will she switch sides and join the BJP?
According to ANI, the Rajya Sabha MP from TMC met Vice President and Rajya Sabha chairman C.P. Radhakrishnan and submitted her resignation.
Her resignation comes just a day after Kamarhati MLA Madan Mitra, a close aide of Mamata Banerjee, quit the party to join the rebel TMC faction led by Ritabrata Banerjee.
Koel's meeting with Union Environment Minister and BJP's central observer for West Bengal, Bhupender Yadav, right after resigning from the Rajya Sabha, has further fueled the rumours of joining the BJP.
Koel was seen at Yadav's residence on Motilal Nehru Road in New Delhi.
Earlier, Sukhendu Sekhar Ray, Sushmita Dev and Prakash Chik Baraik resigned from the Rajya Sabha and the TMC before joining the BJP. They filed their nomination papers on Monday for the West Bengal Rajya Sabha bypolls. Meanwhile, the BJP defended its decision to field the former TMC leaders, downplaying its earlier pledge against inducting rivals.
Reportedly, Koel's resignation was delayed as she was abroad, although discussions with the BJP leadership had reportedly taken place much earlier.
Koel is the fourth TMC MP to resign from the Rajya Sabha. With her resignation, the TMC's strength in the RS has come down to nine MPs.
Reportedly, Koel did not attend a single sitting of the Rajya Sabha during her tenure.
After TMC's massive loss in the 2026 West Bengal elections, the party witnessed a massive rebellion, which started in the Assembly after Ritabrata Banerjee became the Leader of Opposition (LoP) with the support of 57 MLAs.
