Actor-turned-TMC MLA Chiranjeet Chakraborty wishes to quit politics

Amid an ongoing exodus of TMCleaders from the ruling party in West Bengal ahead of theassembly elections, actor-turned-MLA Chiranjeet Chakraborty onWednesday expressed his desire to quit politics and focus moreon acting.The two-time Barasat MLA said he has already conveyedhis decision to party supremo and Chief Minister MamataBanerjee, who has asked him to wait for a few days.I was associated with the TMC even before 2011 whenit came to power in the state.

Amid an ongoing exodus of TMCleaders from the ruling party in West Bengal ahead of theassembly elections, actor-turned-MLA Chiranjeet Chakraborty onWednesday expressed his desire to quit politics and focus moreon acting.

The two-time Barasat MLA said he has already conveyedhis decision to party supremo and Chief Minister MamataBanerjee, who has asked him to wait for a few days.

''I was associated with the TMC even before 2011 (whenit came to power in the state). Before the 2016 assemblyelections, I had told party supremo Mamata Banerjee that Iwant to quit politics and return to acting but she asked me tocontest the polls.

''This time too, I have said that I don't want tocontest the elections and want to focus on acting. She hassaid that she will let me know,'' Chakraborty told a newschannel.

When asked whether he has plans to join any otherparty, he replied in negative.

''I want to be an apolitical person. I want to spendtime acting. I am either a Trinamool member or apolitical.

There is no question of me going to any other party,'' he said.

The party's North 24 Parganas district chief and Foodand Supplies Minister Jyotipriyo Mullick said he will speak toChakraborty.

Since the 2019 Lok Sabha polls, when the BJP bagged 18seats, just four less than the ruling TMC and emerged as itsmain challenger in West Bengal, 17 MLAs of the TrinamoolCongress, one TMC MP, three MLAs each of the Congress and theCPI (M) and one from the CPI have crossed over to the saffroncamp.

However, except for former state cabinet ministersSuvendu Adhikari and Rajib Banerjee, the rest have notresigned as MLAs.

TMC's Rajya Sabha MP Dinesh Trivedi had recently quitthe party and the post, claiming that he was feelingsuffocated in the party.

Elections to the 294-member state assembly are due inApril-May.