TMC's Koel Mallick resigns from Rajya Sabha after just three months, meets BJP leader Bhupender Yadav in Delhi

The Trinamool Congress suffered another setback on Thursday after actor-turned-politician Koel Mallick resigned as a Rajya Sabha MP just three months after entering the Upper House, further deepening the party's post-election crisis, according to a report by The Indian Express.

Koel Mallick, whose legal name is Rukmini Mallick, submitted her resignation to Rajya Sabha Chairman and Vice President C P Radhakrishnan, saying she was stepping down with immediate effect.

In her resignation letter, she wrote, "I convey my sincere gratitude to your Excellency, Hon'ble Deputy Chairman and all functionaries of the Rajya Sabha Secretariat extending all help and cooperation during my tenure as a Member of the Rajya Sabha."

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Mallick had taken the oath as a Rajya Sabha MP on April 6 after being nominated by the Trinamool Congress. However, she did not attend any proceedings of the House during her brief tenure.

Meeting with BJP leader sparks buzz

Hours after resigning, Mallick met Union Minister and senior BJP leader Bhupender Yadav at his residence in Delhi, triggering speculation over her political future.

She is the fourth Trinamool Rajya Sabha MP to quit in the aftermath of the party's defeat in the West Bengal Assembly elections in May. Sukhendu Sekhar Ray, Sushmita Dev and Prakash Chik Baraik had resigned earlier and later joined the BJP. Hours after their resignations, the BJP nominated all three for elections to the Rajya Sabha seats they had vacated.

A celebrated face of Bengali cinema

One of the best-known actors in the Bengali film industry, popularly known as Tollywood, Koel Mallick is the daughter of veteran actor Ranjit Mallick and Deepa Mallick.

She married film producer Nispal Singh in 2013, and the couple has a son.

Over the years, she has received several honours for her performances, including a Filmfare Awards Bangla, two Bengali Film Journalists' Association awards and an Anandalok Puraskar. In 2023, the West Bengal government honoured her with the Mahanayak Samman.

TMC's strength shrinks in Parliament

Following Mallick's resignation, the Trinamool Congress is left with nine members in the Rajya Sabha.

The party is also facing a wider exodus across Parliament and the West Bengal Assembly. Twenty of its 28 Lok Sabha MPs have switched to the lesser-known Nationalist Citizens Party of India and declared support for the NDA. The rebel MPs have also urged Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla to provide separate seating arrangements for them.

In the West Bengal Assembly, a group of 60 MLAs has also rebelled, claiming it represents the "real" Trinamool Congress.

Mallick's resignation comes at a politically significant time, with the BJP attempting to secure a two-thirds majority in both Houses of Parliament.

The numbers are seen as crucial for the government's proposed Constitutional amendment Bill, which seeks to carry out the delimitation of parliamentary constituencies before implementing 33 per cent reservation for women in the Lok Sabha and state Assemblies. The Centre's earlier attempt to push the legislation through Parliament had failed in April.