In the sweltering heat of a July afternoon in 2019, a pivotal meeting in Kolkata set the stage for a dramatic political turnaround in West Bengal. Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, flanked by her nephew and party MP Abhishek Banerjee, sat down for a two-hour discussion with poll strategist Prasant Kishor, the face of the Indian Political Action Committee (I-PAC). The Trinamool Congress, pushed onto the backfoot after a resurgent BJP's performance in the 2019 Lok Sabha elections, was staring at the crucial 2021 state assembly polls. This meeting marked the beginning of a six-and-a-half-year partnership that would yield a 100% strike rate in elections for the party.
The I-PAC Blueprint: Turning Incumbency into Opportunity
According to insiders within the Trinamool Congress, the alliance with I-PAC brought a much-needed infusion of technology, sophisticated data mining, and rigorous field research into the party's campaign machinery. The primary challenge identified was anti-incumbency. I-PAC's strategy reframed this problem as an opportunity for direct engagement.
The cornerstone of this approach was the 'Didi Ke Bolo' (Tell Didi) initiative. While publicly presented as a grievance redressal program, its core function was to map the electorate's primary concerns and grudges at a granular level. The data harvested from this and other research directly informed the launch of two flagship welfare schemes: 'Lakshmir Bhandar', a financial assistance scheme for women, and 'Duare Sarkar' (Government at Doorstep), camps to deliver services. Party functionaries credit these data-backed schemes with scripting a remarkable turnaround, helping Trinamool sweep the 2021 assembly polls, win the 2023 panchayat elections, and perform strongly in the 2024 Lok Sabha polls.
The Pratik Jain Era: A Low-Profile Mastermind Takes Over
The successful partnership, however, faced a potential roadblock after the 2021 assembly victory. Prasant Kishor stepped away from active management to chart his own political course in Bihar. I-PAC continued its association with Trinamool, with co-founder Pratik Jain, an IIT Bombay graduate, assuming a larger role.
For Trinamool, Jain proved to be everything Kishor was, and more. Senior party leaders effusively praise Jain's brilliant strategic mind and his preference for working behind the scenes, away from the limelight. A significant advantage was his roots in Kolkata and a deep understanding of Bengal's complex geopolitics, which resonated well with the party leadership. His first major electoral test post-Kishor was the 2024 Lok Sabha election, where Trinamool's success led to a rare moment in the spotlight—a photograph with the CM where his apparent discomfort at being clicked was evident.
Learning from Losses: The SIR Preparation and Future Roadmap
The world of political strategy is topsy-turvy. Following the Bengal success, I-PAC and Jain faced a significant setback in the 2025 Delhi assembly polls with the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), which saw even Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal lose his seat. Internal analysis pinpointed large-scale voter deletion as a key factor, exacerbated by a lack of preparedness regarding Booth Level Agents (BLAs).
This lesson was applied proactively in Bengal. Months before the Scheduled Intensive Revision (SIR) of voter lists began in November, Trinamool, with integral planning support from I-PAC and Jain, prepared its BLA list. The party updated its 'Didir Doot' app to efficiently capture data provided by BLAs during the revision process. This ensured the party was "SIR-ready" well in advance, a move considered crucial for safeguarding its voter base.
Today, I-PAC's role within Trinamool has evolved beyond mere media outreach. It has become an integral part of the party's core strategic planning. Pratik Jain, operating from the shadows with the leadership's complete trust, continues to be a central figure in scripting Trinamool Congress's electoral playbook for Bengal.
