- I-PAC has paused ground operations in West Bengal for 20 days citing legal issues
- The pause affects associate-level staff involved in booth management and voter outreach
- Senior I-PAC employees continue to work with Trinamool Congress on campaign strategy, they said
Political consultancy firm Indian Political Action Committee (I-PAC) has come under intense focus in West Bengal after an internal email confirmed that the agency has paused its ground operations for 20 days.
I-PAC has been involved in managing the Trinamool Congress's campaign.
The move comes at a crucial phase of the election cycle, with polling dates for the two-phase voting drawing closer.
An internal communication from I-PAC's human resource team which was sent on Sunday night cited "certain legal issues" behind the decision to stop work. It said the management has decided to pause operations in West Bengal with immediate effect.
The mail said the organisation is cooperating with the legal process and expressed confidence that "justice will take its due course." Sources within I-PAC said the HR email circulating on social media is authentic.
Employees and team members have been asked to take a short leave for 20 days, after which I-PAC said it hopes to regroup by May 11 to review the situation and decide the next steps.
Sources said the pause primarily affects I-PAC's associate-level workforce deployed across constituencies. These are staff typically engaged in booth-level management, voter outreach, and data collection. While some employees remain stationed in Bengal, others have returned home.
Though mail was sent to all I-PAC employees, senior staff are still working with the Trinamool on its campaign, sources said. Workers of Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee's party in close coordination with I-PAC continue to work on elected-linked activity on the ground, they said.
I-PAC's senior employees of the consultancy are overseeing campaign strategy and execution, ensuring continuity in messaging, planning, and coordination across constituencies, sources said.
Many employees are fearful about losing their jobs. I-PAC has deployed some 500 staff for election work in Bengal; many are closely working with ministries to help them in schemes.
I-PAC has been closely associated with the Trinamool since the 2021 assembly elections, when it played a key role in crafting the party's electoral strategy. Since then, it has remained an integral part of the party's campaign ecosystem.
The Trinamool today strongly denied any disruption in campaign operations, calling claims of a halt in I-PAC's activities "baseless" and aimed at creating confusion. The party said campaign work is continuing as planned across the state.
NDTV reached out to I-PAC for comment. A response is awaited.
The developments coincide with heightened scrutiny by the Enforcement Directorate (ED), which recently searched premises linked to I-PAC's directors as part of an ongoing money laundering probe. The ED had arrested one of the firm's directors, seized documents and electronic records, and questioned individuals linked to the organisation.
