In a major pre-poll disruption, I-PAC has halted all operations in West Bengal and sent staff on 20-day leave, with Mamata Banerjee alleging BJP is using central agencies to force out TMC’s key election strategist.
Kolkata: In a significant development just days ahead of the West Bengal Assembly elections, the Indian Political Action Committee (I-PAC), the key strategist behind the Trinamool Congress’s campaign, has suspended all its operations in the state, directing its staff to go on a 20-day leave.
Reacting sharply, Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee alleged that the BJP is using central agencies to target her party, questioning the timing of the move. “They are sending the ED to raid our houses every day. What’s new in this? But why before elections? Today, they are asking I-PAC to leave Bengal. Why? Because they work for us? The BJP has several agencies working for them, but we can’t afford so many; we have only one,” she said.
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Sources said I-PAC communicated the decision through a midnight internal email, citing “specific legal obligations” and instructing all employees in West Bengal to immediately cease work.
The organisation will reconnect with staff after May 11 to reassess the situation and decide future steps.
The abrupt suspension has triggered intense political buzz, with analysts warning it could disrupt the Trinamool Congress’s campaign at a crucial juncture.
I-PAC has been central to shaping the party’s electoral messaging and booth-level strategies. West Bengal is set to vote in two phases on April 23 and 29, with counting scheduled for May 4.
The move is being linked to increasing pressure from central investigative agencies.
Earlier this year, the Enforcement Directorate (ED) carried out searches at I-PAC’s Kolkata office and at the residence of a key functionary, triggering a political flashpoint.
Tensions escalated further after the recent arrest of an I-PAC director in connection with an alleged coal smuggling case, drawing sharp criticism from the Trinamool Congress, which termed the action “intimidation.”
So far, neither I-PAC nor the Trinamool Congress has issued an official statement on the suspension.
Published: 19 Apr 2026, 03:10 pm IST
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