‘Party split into two factions’: Filmmaker Raj Chakraborty exits politics amid mounting rebellion inside TMC

KOLKATA: Trinamool's former MLA from Barrackpore, filmmaker Raj Chakraborty, announced on Thursday that he is quitting politics.

Chakraborty's statement comes in the wake of former ministers and TMC functionaries publicly turning on the leadership, blaming organisational arrogance and grassroots disconnect for the poll debacle.



In a note on social media, Chakraborty said: "My entry into political life began in 2021. People gave me the opportunity to work. For the next five years, I continued to try and fulfil my duties as an MLA in that same spirit. That chapter came to an end in 2026. Along with it, my journey in political life has also concluded."

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Chakraborty's move followed actor-MP Dev's acceptance of "people's mandate". While congratulating BJP on its victory, Dev appealed to the incoming administration to preserve harmony within Bengal's film industry and ensure artistic freedom.

Senior TMC functionary in Cooch Behar and former minister Rabindranath Ghosh, who was denied a ticket this election, said: "I always felt the party had split into two factions at the state level. On one side was Didi, and on the other was Abhishek." "I believe Abhishek used to pressure Didi to uphold his decisions. As a result, Didi could not make her own natural decisions," he added.

Former cricketer and ex-minister

Manoj Tiwary, who represented Shibpur after winning in 2021 but was denied a ticket in 2026, also launched a blistering attack on the TMC leadership and former sports minister Aroop Biswas. In a video message posted online, Tiwary alleged that development initiatives in Howrah were deliberately blocked because of factional politics and insecurity within the party.

TMC spokesperson Riju Dutta also publicly expressed frustration with the party leadership after alleging that his family was attacked by BJP supporters following the results. In a social media video, Dutta pleaded with folded hands, stating that he was forced to personally attack Suvendu Adhikari during the elections. Apologising for his actions, he said: "99% of the comments made by me were not my own. I did it under the party's instruction."

There was also criticism from Birbhum, where former TMC MLA Bikash Roy Chowdhury blamed the growing influence of political consultants within the party structure. "Mamata held the party together. But I-PAC brought in some non-Bengali boys who started lecturing us," he said.

The crisis deepened further on Thursday evening when Dr Sujoy Chakraborty, former chairman of the board of administrators of Howrah Municipal Corporation, announced his resignation from the party. Chakraborty accused Abhishek Banerjee of pressuring him to resign from his civic post last year because he was unwilling to collect money from contractors and businessmen for the party fund.

(Written with inputs from Rupak Banerjee in Howrah)