Reports that I-PAC had paused its Bengal operations for at least the next three weeks prompted Trinamool to issue an official denial on Sunday and allege a BJP conspiracy to distract people amid what the ruling party said was a groundswell of support for Mamata Banerjee.
Mamata, however, appeared to lend credence to the reports by suggesting a possible conspiracy to stop her party’s poll strategy consultant — now in the ED’s crosshairs — from working in Bengal. She did not name I-PAC.
Deccan Herald had reported on Sunday morning that the political consultancy’s human resources department had sent an email to employees in Bengal, asking them to go on leave for 20 days till May 11.
The mail reportedly said the agency had decided to halt its operations in Bengal following “certain legal issues”.
Assembly elections are scheduled in Bengal on April 23 and 29, with the results to be announced on May 4.
The ED arrested Vinesh Chandel, one of I-PAC’s co-founders and directors, on money-laundering charges last week and summoned the wife and brother of another director and co-founder, Pratik Jain, who had been handling Trinamool’s affairs this election.
“...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.
Jain did not respond to calls or text messages from this newspaper. Nor did I-PAC issue any statement.
Off the record, some I-PAC and Trinamool sources confirmed the development.
Trinamool’s official statement, though, said: “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.”
Mamata said: “They raid us through the ED every day. Why are they doing so during the elections? They are telling those who work for our party to leave West Bengal. You (BJP) have 50 organisations. As per our strength, we have only one such organisation.”
She added: “Listen carefully: if they (I-PAC employees) are threatened, they will join us. We will give them jobs. I will not allow even one person to lose their job. I spoke to Abhishek (Banerjee) this morning before coming here.”
I-PAC has been under the ED’s scanner since January. On January 8, when an ED team raided the company’s office and Jain’s home in Calcutta, Mamata had walked in and allegedly snatched files and computers from the central agency’s custody.
Sources said I-PAC’s involvement in Trinamool’s functioning was integral: the consultancy assessed the political situation, shuffled local leaders around and prepared local reports on the party’s position. I-PAC has reportedly developed a significant part of Trinamool’s campaign strategy and guided candidate selection.
A senior Trinamool leader said that if the report about the email were true, it would mean that Chandel’s arrest had frightened Jain enough to try and save himself by distancing himself from the party.
“Pratik Jain is in trouble over the ED investigation. We think he has been trying to avoid arrest or questioning by the ED amid immense pressure,” he said.
“Perhaps, he thought that distancing himself from Trinamool would help him and others in his organisation get some relief.”
An I-PAC source confirmed that such an email was sent out on Saturday and the company had held a virtual meeting where strategieswere discussed.
Some Trinamool leaders, too, said the email had indeed been issued but claimed I-PAC employees were still working on the ground in Bengal and that the consultancy might continue to assist the party discreetly.
A senior Trinamool leader saw a silver lining: He said I-PAC personnel had become a headache for the party in some areas because of their alleged nexus with certain senior politicians, resulting in biased reports and prompting infighting.
“So, in some places, I-PAC’s withdrawal could benefit Trinamool,” he said.
BJP leaders claimed that I-PAC, which had become an integral part of both Trinamool and the state government, had withdrawn its operations because it had sensed that Mamata was about tolose power.
“I-PAC, which has many intelligent people, has understood that the TMC will not return to power. That is why they are distancing themselves from the party,” BJP spokesperson DebjitSarkar said.
“They had become part and parcel of the state government and were allegedly involved as a money-collecting agency for the TMC.”
He added: “Now Mamata Banerjee is promising jobs to I-PAC employees. She won’t be in a position to offer jobs if she doesn’t return as chief minister.”