Political consultancy firm Indian Political Action Committee has temporarily halted its ground operations in West Bengal for 20 days, citing “legal issues”, according to an internal communication.
The move comes at a crucial juncture, just days ahead of polling, even as the Trinamool Congress maintains that its campaign remains unaffected.
An internal email sent by I-PAC’s HR department asked employees engaged in fieldwork to proceed on leave with immediate effect.
The operations are set to be reviewed by May 11. The pause primarily affects associate-level staff involved in booth management, voter outreach and other on-ground activities, while senior members are expected to continue handling campaign strategy.
While the official communication frames the move as temporary, sources within the organisation suggest a more visible disruption.
According to insiders, offices are largely shut and field deployment has reduced significantly, pointing to a dip in grassroots mobilisation at a critical time.
ED probe and co-founder’s arrest cast shadow on operations as Bengal heads into crucial polling phase
The development gains added significance with voting in the state scheduled in two phases on April 23 and April 29, with results to be declared on May 4.
Any slowdown in field operations at this stage could impact last-mile campaign efforts.
TMC leaders, however, have dismissed reports of disruption as “baseless”, insisting that campaign activities are continuing smoothly across the state.
Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee alleged that central agencies are being used to intimidate the consultancy firm and disrupt her party’s election machinery.
She also offered to absorb I-PAC employees into the party if their jobs were at risk.
The backdrop to the pause is an ongoing investigation by the Enforcement Directorate (ED), which is probing alleged financial irregularities linked to the firm, including connections to a coal smuggling case.
Earlier this year, ED conducted searches at multiple locations associated with I-PAC in Kolkata.
The situation intensified last week with the arrest of I-PAC co-founder Vinesh Chandel in a money laundering case, bringing the organisation under heightened scrutiny.
These developments appear to have triggered internal uncertainty, leading to the temporary suspension of field operations in the state.
Since 2019, I-PAC has played a key role in shaping TMC’s election strategy, handling data analytics, campaign planning and booth-level coordination.
A prolonged disruption could therefore have implications for on-ground campaign management, even as the party publicly maintains business as usual.