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Suspended TMC leader Riju Dutta also accused I-PAC of effectively running the party and influencing internal decisions.
Senior TMC MP Kalyan Banerjee alleged I-PAC had damaged the party’s internal structure and electoral prospects. (File photo)
After facing a crushing defeat at the hands of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in the 2026 West Bengal Assembly elections, internal fault lines within the Trinamool Congress (TMC) have come into sharp focus, with a section of leaders openly blaming political consultancy firm I-PAC for the party’s poor performance.
Senior TMC MP Kalyan Banerjee launched a sharp attack on the organisation, alleging that I-PAC had damaged the party’s internal structure and electoral prospects.
“I-PAC has completely destroyed the Trinamool Congress organisation. They instigated fights among potential candidates. They told many people in every Assembly constituency that your feedback is the best, you alone will get the ticket. Those who didn’t get the ticket helped the BJP out of anger,” Banerjee told a Kolkata-based news outlet.
He also criticised fellow party leader, Abhishek Banerjee, for his excessive dependence on the consultancy firm. According to him, such reliance was “not accepted within the party” and had created internal dissatisfaction.
Adding to the criticism, suspended TMC leader Riju Dutta also accused I-PAC of effectively running the party and influencing internal decisions. He alleged that the firm had “threatened members” and benefited financially from its association with the party, while calling on TMC supremo Mamata Banerjee and Abhishek Banerjee to take responsibility for what he termed “sabotage”.
#WATCH | Kolkata, West Bengal: Suspended TMC leader, Riju Dutta says, “… Didi (Mamata Banerjee) and Abhishek Banerjee must take responsibility for how an outsider organisation (I-PAC) managed to capture the entire party… When ED raids took place at TMC leaders’ homes, Didi… pic.twitter.com/FeHjEP1bwc— ANI (@ANI) May 11, 2026
“Didi (Mamata Banerjee) and Abhishek Banerjee must take responsibility for how an outsider organisation (I-PAC) managed to capture the entire party,” he said, claiming that the organisation had “captured” the party structure.
Other leaders, including former Rajganj MLA Khageswar Roy and former Alipurduar MLA Sourav Chakraborty, have also raised similar concerns, alleging interference by I-PAC in candidate selection and weakening of grassroots organisational strength.
The controversy comes in the backdrop of a significant electoral setback for the TMC. The BJP secured a sweeping victory in the 294-member Assembly, winning 207 seats, while the TMC was reduced to 80 seats.
The TMC’s association with I-PAC began ahead of the 2021 Assembly elections, when the firm played a key role in campaign strategy, helping the party secure a strong mandate. It also contributed to the party’s performance in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections. However, its role has increasingly come under scrutiny following the recent defeat.
I-PAC, a political consultancy known for managing high-profile election campaigns across India, has worked with several major political parties over the years. One of its founder, election strategist-turned-politician Prashant Kishor, has been associated with multiple campaigns, including those of the BJP and Congress.
However, he formally exited the organisation after the 2021 West Bengal Assembly elections, stepping away from political consultancy to focus on his own political journey.
(With inputs from agencies)
West Bengal, India, India
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