The Bharatiya Janata Party on Sunday (October 4, 2026) nominated former Trinamool Congress MP Rukmini Mallick alias Koel Mallick to Rajya Sabha.

Ms. Mallick was elected to the Upper House by Trinamool Congress in April this year. On July 16, 2026, the actor turned politician submitted her resignation to Vice President and chairman of the Upper House C. P. Radhakrishnan. 

She is the fourth Trinamool Congress MP who has been nominated to Rajya Sabha by the BJP, after resigning from the Upper House. 

Elections for 12 Rajya Sabha seats are scheduled on October 16. 

On July 9, 2026, the BJP had nominated three former Trinamool Congress Rajya Sabha MPs Sushmita Dev, Sukhendu Sekhar Ray and Prakash Chik Baraik to the Upper House of Parliament, hours after the three former MPs joined the BJP in Kolkata.

While the three MPs had officially joined the BJP, Ms. Mallick had met BJP leaders including Union Home Minister Amit Shah after she had resigned from Rajya Sabha.

The nomination of former Trinamool Congress MPs to Rajya Sabha has sparked a debate about “Trinamoolisation of the BJP” with a section of party leaders saying that the party was accommodating those who faught against the BJP before the party came to power in WB.