'Just As 3 TMC MPs Resigned': Koel Mallick To Join BJP After Rajya Sabha Exit?

Published 17 July 2026 · politics

'Just As 3 TMC MPs Resigned': Koel Mallick To Join BJP After Rajya Sabha Exit? Reported By, Edited By Last Updated: July 17, 2026, 10:06

'Just As 3 TMC MPs Resigned': Koel Mallick To Join BJP After Rajya Sabha Exit? Reported By, Edited By Last Updated: July 17, 2026, 10:06 IST The strongest indication came from Union Minister of State for Education Sukanta Majumdar, who ruled out the possibility of Koel Mallick disappearing from politics Rapid Read Koel Mallick's resignation also comes amid a larger exodus from the Trinamool Congress following the party's defeat in the 2026 Assembly elections. Actor-turned-politician Koel Mallick has triggered fresh political speculation in West Bengal after resigning from her Rajya Sabha seat without attending a single day of Parliament – an unprecedented move in Indian parliamentary politics. While some political circles were abuzz with the possibility of her joining a new political platform such as the Nationalist Citizens Party of India (NCPI), developments over the past 24 hours suggest that her political destination is likely to be the ruling BJP. The strongest indication came from Union Minister of State for Education and senior Bengal BJP leader Sukanta Majumdar, who all but ruled out the possibility of Koel disappearing from active politics. Responding to questions over her future, Majumdar remarked, “Just as the three MPs who resigned earlier eventually returned to Parliament, she too will return in the same manner." Notably, three former Trinamool Congress MPs – Sushmita Dev, Prakash Chik Baraik and Sukhendu Sekhar Roy – all of whom have been linked to the BJP’s expanding footprint in Bengal politics, but recently joined the BJP and within hours were fielded from the Upper House.

Koel’s resignation also comes amid a larger exodus from the Trinamool Congress following the party’s defeat in the 2026 Assembly elections. The Nationalist Citizens Party of India (NCPI) has the support of 20 Lok Sabha MPs, almost all of them former Trinamool Congress MPs who merged with the new party after the 2026 West Bengal Assembly election. The group has sought separate seating arrangements and recognition as an independent parliamentary bloc in the Lok Sabha and aligns with the ruling NDA alliance. Sudip Bandyopadhyay will serve as the party’s floor leader in the Lok Sabha, while Kakoli Ghosh Dastidar is expected to be the chief whip. Adding fuel to the speculation, Koel recently held discussions with senior BJP leadership, including Union Minister Bhupender Yadav, who was also BJP’s 2026 Bengal Assembly election in-charge that brought them to power. Yadav plays a crucial role as a power centre in Delhi. Ahead of their joining the NCPI, even TMC Lok Sabha rebel MPs like Sudip Bandyopadhyay, Kakoli Ghosh Dastidar, Satabdi Roy, Mala Roy, and Yusuf Pathan met Yadav in Delhi. Sources in Delhi and Kolkata view the meeting as part of a broader political realignment underway after the change of guard in Bengal. Koel’s resignation letter itself offered no political clues, merely thanking the Rajya Sabha Secretariat for its cooperation during her brief tenure.