Indian Actor Koel Mallick quits Rajya Sabha

Actor-turned-politician Koel Mallick, who took oath as Rajya Sabha member on April 6, decided to quit as MP on Thursday, delivering another body blow to the Trinamool's strength in the Upper House.

"I do hereby resign from the membership of Rajya Sabha, which may please be accepted with immediate effect," she said in her letter to CP Radhakrishnan, Chairman, Rajya Sabha.

The resignation comes just days before the Monsoon Session of parliament begins - on July 20.

Earlier, three Trinamool MPs - Sukhendu Sekhar Ray, Sushmita Dev and Prakash Chik Baraik - resigned their Rajya Sabha seats and joined the BJP. On Monday, they filed thier nomination papers for the Rajya Sabha polls in Bengal.

Trinamool Congress has witnessed turmoil after the defeat in the state polls, with 20 of its Lok Sabha MPs having "merged with the National Citizens Party of Indi