The Enforcement Directorate (ED) conducted searches at the Kolkata office of the Indian Political Action Committee (I-PAC) and the residence of its co-founder and director, Pratik Jain, on Thursday. The raids have thrust the political consultancy, which has maintained a relatively low profile since strategist Prashant Kishor's departure in 2021, back into the national spotlight.
The central agency stated that the action is part of a money laundering investigation linked to an alleged coal smuggling case. It claimed to have seized a pile of documents and established connections with hawala operators during the operation.
From National Ambitions to a Bengal-Centric Focus
I-PAC's origins trace back to the professional campaign management ecosystem that emerged around the 2014 Lok Sabha elections. It evolved from groups like the Citizens for Accountable Governance (CAG), with Pratik Jain being a founder-member. After the 2021 West Bengal Assembly polls, Prashant Kishor, a co-founder who had begun his political journey, exited the firm.
Following Kishor's exit, full control passed to the three directors: Prak Jain, Rishi Raj Singh, and Vinesh Chandel. However, the consultancy's electoral fortunes outside West Bengal have been mixed since 2021.
The firm assisted the Trinamool Congress (TMC) in its expansion attempts in Tripura, Meghalaya, and Goa, but the party won only a handful of seats. It also managed by-elections for the YSR Congress Party in Andhra Pradesh and worked with the Aam Aadmi Party in Delhi. After these engagements, the firm consolidated its operations. "Post-Delhi, the firm effectively regrouped around West Bengal," a senior political consultant said on condition of anonymity.
Organisational Structure and Deep TMC Integration
I-PAC operates with a layered structure. At the top are the directors. Below them are engagement managers and vertical heads overseeing specific functions like data analytics, digital communication, and field operations. This model is replicated at the state level.
Currently, Pratik Jain is considered the director-in-charge of West Bengal operations, I-PAC's only full-scale state engagement. An IIT graduate, he oversees campaign strategy, data, and digital operations, and integrates I-PAC's systems with the TMC's machinery. He works closely with senior party leaders, including Abhishek Banerjee.
Rishi Raj Singh handles outreach and business development outside Bengal, while Vinesh Chandel, who previously oversaw northern and eastern regions, is not currently associated with any active state campaign.
In West Bengal, I-PAC's work extends beyond elections to year-round activities like voter outreach, digital infrastructure, and narrative-building around welfare schemes. Its ground-level 'leadership team' comprises professionals from management backgrounds. Work is divided into field, media, political intelligence, digital, and campaign strategy teams, each with 15-20 members covering districts down to the block level.
An I-PAC official confirmed, "The founding members are in direct touch with Mamata Banerjee and Abhishek Banerjee, the two top leaders of the TMC." This deep integration is why the ED's action carries significant political weight.
Political Reactions and Future Engagements
Reacting to the raids, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee accused the ED of "trying to get party internal documents." The opposition was quick to comment on the I-PAC-TMC nexus. Senior Congress leader Adhir Chowdhury stated, "I-PAC is the eyes and ears of the TMC. It is like an investigating agency of the TMC."
Beyond Bengal, I-PAC maintains an association with Tamil Nadu's ruling DMK, with a team of 20 employees and a full-fledged office in the state. It collaborates with 'PEN', the DMK first family's in-house team. However, sources indicate this involvement is on a lesser scale compared to its West Bengal operations.
The ED's raids have underscored how a political consultancy, once seen as a national player, has become intricately linked with the fortunes of a single regional party. As one consultant noted, "When a consultancy becomes that central to a ruling party's operations, any scrutiny is inevitably seen through a political lens." The investigation's progress will be closely watched, especially with key state elections on the horizon.
