Ex-TMC MP Koel Mallick joins BJP, gets Rajya Sabha ticket

Former Trinamool Congress MP Koel Mallick on Monday joined the Bharatiya Janata Party, a day after the Hindutva party nominated her for the Rajya Sabha elections.

The actor-politician had quit Mamata Banerjee’s faction of the TMC and resigned as a legislator in the Upper House of Parliament in July.

Based on the composition of the Assembly, she is expected to be re-elected unopposed.

The polls became necessary after Mallick resigned amid alleged coercion by the BJP since the TMC lost the Assembly elections in May.

The election, if needed, is scheduled to take place on October 16. The result being announced on the same day.

Shortly after resigning, Mallick had met Union minister and BJP leader Bhupender Yadav in his home in Delhi, leading to speculation that she may join the Hindutva party.

In her resignation letter to Vice President CP Radhakrishnan, Mallick had not stated any reasons for quitting the Rajya Sabha.

In June, three of TMC’s 13 Rajya Sabha MPs – Sukhendu Sekhar Ray, Sushmita Dev and Prakash Chik Baraik – resigned. All three joined the BJP on July 9 and were re-elected unopposed to the Upper House on BJP tickets.

The TMC crisis

The TMC has been beset by alleged coercion by the BJP after it lost the Assembly elections to the Hindutva party in May. Nearly 60 out of the TMC’s 80 MLAs...

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