The Enforcement Directorate on Monday arrested Vinesh Chandel, one of the co-founders of I-PAC, the political consultancy firm of which Bengal's ruling Trinamool is a key client, in connection with an alleged coal scam.

Chandel was arrested in Delhi, sources said. The arrest of Chandel comes in the midst of a bitter poll campaign in Bengal for the Assembly polls barely 10 days away.

On April 2, raids were carried out by the central agency on Chandel's premises in Delhi along with one of the firm's directors Rishi Raj Singh in Bengaluru and an Aam AAP leader, Vijay Nair.

Sources said Chandel was arrested under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act.

Abhishek Banerjee, Trinamool national general secretary said the arrest 10 days before the first phase of polling was not only intimidating but shook the very foundation of level playing field.

"At a time when WB should be moving toward free and fair elections, this kind of action sends a chilling message: If you work with the opposition, you could be next. That’s not democracy- that’s intimidation!" he wrote on X.

"To Amit Shah and the BJP’s power structure- Be in Bengal on the 4th and 5th of May. Come with Gyanesh Kumar and every agency you deploy. Bengal will not be bullied, will not be silenced and will not bow. This is a land that answers pressure with resistance and it will show you exactly what that means!" he added.

In January this year, two ED teams had raided the residence of Pratik Jain, the head of I-Pac and also the firm's office in the Calxutta suburb of Salt Lake.

Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee had on that day arrived at Jain's residence and later the I-Pac office and retrieved several files.

The legal challenge to that is ongoing.

Mamata had accused the central agency of working on the instructions of the Union home minister Amit Shah to spy on and stealing Trinamool's list of probable candidates and campaign strategy for the Bengal Assembly polls.