Major Blow To TMC Before Polls: I-PAC Shuts Opeartions In West Bengal, Employees Directed Not To Come To Office

Kolkata: In a major blow to the ruling TMC in West Bengal, the party's election strategy consultant I-PAC has shut down its operations in the state, just days ahead of the crucial assembly polls.

The consultant's employees have been asked not to come to work for 20 days.

In a mail to its staffers, the agency stated that it is halting its operations in the state after facing “certain legal issues”.

“All employees and team members are requested to avail a short leave for a period of 20 days. At the end of this period, by May 11, we will regroup, review the situation and decide the next steps,” the email reportedly said. I-PAC employees have also been instructed to refrain from using official email IDs for any communication.

The shutdown of operations comes a day after the TMC rubbished such apprehensions about the company as “baseless”. The party, in a statement, said that the West Bengal unit of the I-PAC is fully engaged in its campaigning operations for the 2026 State Assembly elections.

"We have come across a media report claiming that IPAC has 'halted its operations in West Bengal for the next 20 days.' This claim is completely baseless and appears to be a deliberate attempt to create confusion on the ground. IPAC WB team remains fully engaged with AITC, and campaign operations are continuing as planned across the state. These narratives are a deliberate attempt to distract from the clear mood on the ground."

"The people of Bengal are fully capable of seeing through these attempts and will respond democratically. West Bengal will not be swayed by misinformation or intimidation. They will respond decisively on the 23rd and 29th, and the results on May 4 will reflect their verdict," the statement read.

I-PAC Director Vinesh Chandel was arrested under the provisions of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA), 2002, in a coal pilferage case. Chandel is the founder, director and 33 per cent shareholder of I-PAC.

The Enforcement Directorate has also summoned Rishi Raj Singh, one of the directors of the consultant firm, for questioning on April 20 in a hawala transactions-linked money laundering case.

I-PAC, which was established in 2015, provides political consultancy to several political parties, including two in power in poll-bound states, the TMC in West Bengal, and the DMK in Tamil Nadu.

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