Trinamool Leaders Blame I-PAC for West Bengal Election Defeat

Senior Trinamool Congress leaders, including Lok Sabha chief whip Kalyan Banerjee, have blamed political consultancy firm I-PAC for the party's defeat in the 2026 West Bengal Assembly elections, alleging the firm's overreach damaged the party's organizational structure. Banerjee said Abhishek Banerjee's reliance on I-PAC was widely resented within the party, while former spokesperson Riju Dutta claimed the firm had effectively been running the party in the months before the polls.

I-PAC, which helped Trinamool win 215 seats in 2021 and 29 Lok Sabha seats in 2024, was involved in campaign strategy and candidate selection feedback. However, several district-level leaders, including former Rajganj MLA Khageswar Roy and Jalpaiguri's Sourav Chakraborty, have accused the firm of corruption in ticket distribution and undermining local leadership. Despite these allegations, decision-making authority remained with Mamata Banerjee and Abhishek Banerjee.

The firm's operations were disrupted during the campaign after Enforcement Directorate (ED) raids on founder Pratik Jain's premises in January and the arrest of director Vinesh Chandel in April. Mamata Banerjee had publicly intervened during the raids, an act her supporters called a 'masterstroke,' though the ED later moved the Supreme Court over alleged evidence removal. Most I-PAC team members ceased active work during the campaign, though the party initially denied any suspension of operations.

Political observers say the defeat stemmed from anti-incumbency, Hindu voter consolidation behind the BJP, and a split in Muslim votes, rather than I-PAC's role alone. With direct criticism of the Banerjee leadership considered risky, I-PAC has become a focal point for internal blame.

The Trinamool Congress is expected to convene a central committee meeting next week to review the election outcome, while the Supreme Court continues to hear the ED's petition related to the January raids.