Raj Chakrabarty quits politics after BJP defeat in Barrackpore 2026
Synopsis
Two of TMC's biggest celebrity faces — director Raj Chakrabarty and actor Dev — are stepping back from politics after the party's 2026 West Bengal rout. Chakrabarty's clean break is the more decisive of the two, marking the end of a five-year legislative chapter and raising questions about TMC's star-candidate strategy.
Key Takeaways
Raj Chakrabarty , former TMC MLA from Barrackpore , announced a permanent exit from politics on 8 May via social media.
He was defeated by BJP 's Kaustav Bagchi by over 15,000 votes in the 2026 West Bengal Assembly elections .
Chakrabarty served as Barrackpore MLA from 2021 to 2026 and is known for directing the Bengali OTT series 'Proloy, Abar Proloy' .
Actor-politician Deepak Adhikari (Dev) , three-time TMC Lok Sabha MP, also announced plans to scale back politics — but stopped short of a permanent exit.
The new BJP -led West Bengal government was scheduled to be sworn in on 9 May .
Celebrity Bengali film director and former All India Trinamool Congress (TMC) legislator Raj Chakrabarty has announced a permanent exit from politics following his defeat in the 2026 West Bengal Assembly elections, saying he will now focus entirely on his film and television career. The announcement, made via a social media post, comes days after Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) candidate and senior counsel of Calcutta High Court, Kaustav Bagchi, defeated Chakrabarty by over 15,000 votes in the Barrackpore Assembly constituency of North 24 Parganas district, West Bengal.
Chakrabarty's Farewell Statement
In his social media message, Chakrabarty reflected on both his creative and political journeys.
Point of View
Actors, pop icons — as a substitute for grassroots political work. The 2026 results suggest voters in constituencies like Barrackpore were not swayed by marquee names. The fact that two of TMC's most recognisable celebrity candidates are now retreating to their original careers is a quiet but telling admission that the formula failed. The BJP's ability to field a credible legal professional against a film director — and win by 15,000 votes — points to a voter base increasingly focused on governance credentials over star power.
NationPress
12 May 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
Why did Raj Chakrabarty quit politics?
Raj Chakrabarty announced a permanent exit from politics after losing the 2026 West Bengal Assembly election from the Barrackpore constituency to BJP's Kaustav Bagchi by over 15,000 votes. In a social media statement, he said his political journey, which began in 2021, has now concluded.
Who defeated Raj Chakrabarty in the 2026 West Bengal election?
BJP candidate Kaustav Bagchi, a senior counsel of the Calcutta High Court, defeated Raj Chakrabarty in the Barrackpore Assembly constituency by a margin of over 15,000 votes.
Which Bengali OTT series is Raj Chakrabarty known for directing?
Raj Chakrabarty is known for directing the popular Bengali OTT series 'Proloy, Abar Proloy' and its sequel 'Abar Proloy-2'. He has now said he will concentrate on his film and television career.
Who else from TMC stepped back from politics after the 2026 defeat?
Actor-turned-politician Deepak Adhikari, known as Dev, and a three-time TMC Lok Sabha member, announced he would shrink his political career and focus on acting and film production. Unlike Chakrabarty, he did not declare a permanent exit.
When was the new West Bengal government scheduled to be sworn in?
The new BJP-led West Bengal government was scheduled to be sworn in on 9 May 2026, as mentioned by Chakrabarty in his farewell social media post.
