Mallick joined the party a day after it nominated her for an upcoming upper-house election. She previously served briefly as a Rajya Sabha member for the TMC.
Bengali film actor Koyel Mallick joined the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Monday, a day after it nominated her for an upcoming Rajya Sabha election. West Bengal BJP general secretary Sashi Agnihotri welcomed her and said she would file her nomination papers that day.
Mallick, daughter of veteran Bengali actor Ranjit Mallick, previously served as a Rajya Sabha member for the All India Trinamool Congress (TMC) from April 6 to July 16. She resigned after the Mamata Banerjee-led party’s setback in the state assembly election.
At a news conference, Mallick said it would be an honour to serve in the upper house and work for public welfare. She thanked Prime Minister Narendra Modi and West Bengal Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari for selecting her and said she wanted to contribute to development initiatives and create opportunities for talent in the state.
Asked about criticism of her move from the TMC to the BJP, Mallick said she was not angry with former colleagues. Elections for 12 Rajya Sabha seats across Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand and West Bengal are scheduled for October 16.