BJP faces internal dissent over Rajya Sabha ticket to ex-TMC MP Koel Mallick
5 Oct 2026 8:52 PM IST5 Oct 2026 8:52 PM IST
Veteran leaders question nomination of turncoat leaders, warn of growing resentment among long-time BJP workers in Bengal.
Actor-turned-politician Koel Mallick files her nomination as BJP’s Rajya Sabha candidate. (DC Image)
Kolkata: The BJP faced fresh internal dissent in West Bengal on Monday over its decision to nominate actor-turned-politician Koel Mallick, the fourth former Trinamul Congress member to be picked by the party for a Rajya Sabha seat. Mallick joined the BJP and filed her nomination at the state Assembly a day after opposition parties criticised her selection.
BJP veteran and former Tripura governor Tathagata Roy criticised the choice in a post on X on Sunday evening, saying that longtime BJP workers had been overlooked in favour of former Trinamul Congress members.
“Sukhendu Shekhar Roy, Koel Mallik, Prakash Chik Baraik, and Susmita Deb, who were Trinamoolis till yesterday, have been sent to Rajya Sabha by BJP in preference to longtime BJP workers. I am currently in US, completely retired and have just received this news,” he wrote.
Referring to his RSS background, Roy added: “There is considerable anguish among BJP workers in West Bengal who have suffered horribly at the hands of Trinamooli goons during their reign. It would be very unwise for the BJP central leadership to overlook this anguish. I am saying this as a Swayamsevak and a BJP worker who has worked for the Sangh and the party for more than 35 years against very considerable odds.”
Roy tagged Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Union home minister Amit Shah, BJP president Nitin Nabin and state party chief Samik Bhattacharya in his post. His public criticism immediately raised eyebrows within the party.
On Monday, the actor-turned-politician was welcomed into the BJP by its West Bengal general secretary Shashi Agnihotri. She later submitted her nomination as the party’s Rajya Sabha candidate at the state Assembly in the presence of Bhattacharya and chief minister Suvendu Adhikari.
Adhikari subsequently expressed full confidence in Mallick’s victory in a social media post and congratulated her with “advance greetings”.
In the afternoon, another BJP leader, Anupam Hazra, joined Roy in taking a dig at the party’s decision to field Mallick. Hazra shared a video of the actor’s induction into the BJP and wrote sarcastically on social media: “One of the nationalist fighting mass leaders of the country Shrimati Koel Mallick was inducted into BJP in the greater interest of the country.”
Asked at a press conference why the BJP had given a Rajya Sabha ticket to yet another former Trinamul Congress member, Bhattacharya, who is himself a member of the Upper House, defended the party’s choice. He claimed Mallick’s previous party had ceased to exist after breaking into two factions and losing its claim to its symbol and bank accounts.
“I can still affirm that there will be no Trinamulisation of BJP. You earlier debated a lot whether those who were inducted were Bhalo (good) TMC or not. But I say they are not Kalo (black/tainted). All words cannot be spoken out. It is however true that the candidate announcement happened before induction. Since we can't find any opposition, whatever is being built and broken is by BJP though this is not a good sign,” he said.
“Sukhendu Shekhar Roy, Koel Mallik, Prakash Chik Baraik, and Susmita Deb, who were Trinamoolis till yesterday, have been sent to Rajya Sabha by BJP in preference to longtime BJP workers. I am currently in US, completely retired and have just received this news,” he wrote.
Referring to his RSS background, Roy added: “There is considerable anguish among BJP workers in West Bengal who have suffered horribly at the hands of Trinamooli goons during their reign. It would be very unwise for the BJP central leadership to overlook this anguish. I am saying this as a Swayamsevak and a BJP worker who has worked for the Sangh and the party for more than 35 years against very considerable odds.”
Roy tagged Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Union home minister Amit Shah, BJP president Nitin Nabin and state party chief Samik Bhattacharya in his post. His public criticism immediately raised eyebrows within the party.
On Monday, the actor-turned-politician was welcomed into the BJP by its West Bengal general secretary Shashi Agnihotri. She later submitted her nomination as the party’s Rajya Sabha candidate at the state Assembly in the presence of Bhattacharya and chief minister Suvendu Adhikari.
Adhikari subsequently expressed full confidence in Mallick’s victory in a social media post and congratulated her with “advance greetings”.
In the afternoon, another BJP leader, Anupam Hazra, joined Roy in taking a dig at the party’s decision to field Mallick. Hazra shared a video of the actor’s induction into the BJP and wrote sarcastically on social media: “One of the nationalist fighting mass leaders of the country Shrimati Koel Mallick was inducted into BJP in the greater interest of the country.”
Asked at a press conference why the BJP had given a Rajya Sabha ticket to yet another former Trinamul Congress member, Bhattacharya, who is himself a member of the Upper House, defended the party’s choice. He claimed Mallick’s previous party had ceased to exist after breaking into two factions and losing its claim to its symbol and bank accounts.
“I can still affirm that there will be no Trinamulisation of BJP. You earlier debated a lot whether those who were inducted were Bhalo (good) TMC or not. But I say they are not Kalo (black/tainted). All words cannot be spoken out. It is however true that the candidate announcement happened before induction. Since we can't find any opposition, whatever is being built and broken is by BJP though this is not a good sign,” he said.
( Source : Deccan Chronicle )
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