Narendra Modi’s BJP defeated Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee’s Trinamool Congress (TMC), which has been in power in West Bengal state since 2011. Meanwhile, contesting on a Trinamool Congress (TMC) ticket from the Barrackpore constituency, film director Raj Chakraborty lost to Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) candidate Kaustuv Bagchi, trailing by over 9,500 votes. On Thursday, Raj shared a note on his Instagram account that he is quitting politics.
Raj Chakraborty quits politics after defeat
Raj wrote a note in Bengali to announce his decision. He began, “Whenever I have been trusted with some responsibility, I have tried to do my work with complete loyalty and truthfulness. I have tried to give my all. As a film director, I try to bring joy to the audience. Sometimes I have won, other times I have lost.”
He added, “I entered politics in 2011. People had trusted me with an opportunity to work. Over the next 5 years, I have done my best to continue carrying out my responsibilities as an elected representative. That chapter comes to an end in 2026. With it, my journey with politics.”
He went to send wishes to the new government in West Bengal. “The people of Bengal have elected a new government. They will take the oath on May 9. I wish them all the best. Here’s hoping that West Bengal grows towards more progress with the help of the new government. The people’s problems will be solved. Wishing the best to everyone,” he concluded.
Mud thrown at Raj Chakraborty
On Monday, Raj visited the vote counting ground but was met with an unpleasant crowd. Several workers and people who had gathered there started shouting slogans on seeing him. People shouted ‘chor (thief)’ at him as he was taken aside from the premises. Videos emerged from the ground, where, at one instance, mud was thrown on him. Raj maintained his calm and did not respond to the slogans.
Raj has directed several Bengali films, including Chirodini Tumi Je Amar, Challenge, Dui Prithibi, Prem Aamar, Le Chakka and Bojhena Shey Bojhena. He is married to actor Subhashree Ganguly. After the backlash, Subhashree took to her Instagram account to defend Raj and posted a series of pictures of him. In the caption, she wrote, “Our superhero. Our pride. Our superstar. Our Home. The Centre of our world.”
Meanwhile, West Bengal governor RN Ravi on Thursday dissolved the state assembly at the end of its five-year term. The move comes days after Trinamool Congress chief Mamata Banerjee declared that she would not follow the convention of going to the governor to hand over her resignation as the state’s chief minister despite losing a landslide election to the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).