Filmmaker and former Trinamool Congress MLA Raj Chakraborty has announced that he is stepping away from politics, bringing an end to a chapter that began with the 2021 West Bengal Assembly elections.
In a lengthy note shared on social media, Chakraborty reflected on his journey in public life, saying he tried to fulfil every responsibility with “dedication and honesty” whenever entrusted with one. He also looked back on his years in cinema, writing that as a director he always attempted to bring joy to audiences through films, while accepting that life brought both victories and setbacks.
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“Whenever I received any responsibility in life, I carried it out with sincerity and honesty,” he wrote in Bengali. “As a director, I tried to entertain people through cinema. Sometimes I won, sometimes I lost.”
Raj Chakraborty entered active politics in 2021 when he contested the West Bengal Assembly elections on a Trinamool Congress ticket. He served as the MLA from Barrackpore for the last five years.
‘That chapter ended in 2026’
In his statement, Chakraborty said the people had given him the opportunity to work in politics in 2021 and that he spent the next five years trying to fulfil the responsibilities of a legislator in the best possible way.
“That chapter ended in 2026,” he wrote, adding that with it, “the path of my political life also came to an end.”
Wishes for the incoming government
The director also congratulated the incoming government in West Bengal and extended his wishes ahead of the swearing-in ceremony scheduled for May 9, 2026. He expressed hope that the state would move forward on the path of development and that people’s problems would be addressed.
“The people of Bengal have chosen a new government. I extend my heartfelt wishes to them. I hope West Bengal progresses holding your hands and that the problems of the people are solved,” the post read.
He ended the message with a brief note to the public: “Stay well. Stay healthy.”
While Chakraborty did not specify whether he is completely leaving public life or only electoral politics, the tone of the post strongly suggested a formal exit from active political involvement.
Raj Chakraborty is one of Bengal’s most commercially successful filmmakers and had joined politics at a time when several prominent figures from the Bengali entertainment industry entered electoral politics under the Trinamool Congress banner.
