Bengali superstar Koel Mallick has resigned from her position as a Rajya Sabha Member of Parliament. The actress-turned-parliamentarian tendered her resignation from the Rajya Sabha on Thursday, and sent her resignation letter to the Upper House Chairman, just over two months after taking her oath as an MP.
Koel’s exit makes her the fourth Trinamool Congress Rajya Sabha member to step down in a matter of weeks, following the departures of Sukhendu Sekhar Roy, Sushmita Dev, and Prakash Chik Baraik. Her resignation lands the party's strength in the Upper House down to nine seats, from a high of thirteen, a steep slide that has fuelled speculation about deeper cracks within the TMC.
For longtime followers of Bengali film and television, Koel’s brief detour into politics felt a little unusual. She was nominated to the Rajya Sabha ahead of the state’s Assembly elections. When she took her oath in April, Koel spoke of the moment as an unplanned but weighty responsibility — a chance, she suggested, to serve people in a way that mattered deeply to her.
That chapter now appears to have closed almost as quickly as it opened. Insiders suggest Koel grew wary of being pulled further into the party’s escalating internal battles following its setback in the Assembly polls, and preferred to step back rather than be caught in the crossfire.
Born Rukmini Mallick, the actress is the daughter of veteran Tollywood star Ranjit Mallick and has spent more than two decades as one of Bengali cinema's most bankable leading ladies since her 2003 breakout in Nater Guru. Hits like Paglu, Hemlock Society, and 100% Love cemented her stardom, while her 2023 Mahanayak Samman honor from the West Bengal government underscored her standing well beyond politics.
Her time in Delhi included a widely photographed visit to the new Parliament building with family in tow, including her father, and active campaigning for the party during elections. But with TMC's Rajya Sabha ranks thinning fast — and rebel MPs reportedly aligning elsewhere — Koel’s resignation is as much an exit strategy as a political statement.
Neither Mallick nor the TMC has issued an extended public statement beyond confirmation of the resignation. For now, industry watchers expect her to return her focus to Tollywood.
For more updates, join/follow our WhatsApp, Telegram and YouTube channels.