West Bengal: Mamata promises jobs as I-PAC sends staff on leave

A fresh controversy has erupted in West Bengal over reports that the Indian Political Action Committee (I-PAC) has suspended part of its operations in the state for 20 days. While the Trinamool Congress (TMC) has dismissed the reports as ‘baseless’, the development has triggered concern within the organisation and added another layer of tension to an already charged election atmosphere.

On Sunday, the Trinamool Congress issued a strong statement denying that I-PAC had stopped working in West Bengal. The party said the reports were being circulated deliberately to create confusion at a sensitive political moment. According to the TMC, I-PAC’s Bengal team remains active and campaign work is continuing across the state as planned. The party described the claims as misinformation and said the people of Bengal would respond through the democratic process.

The controversy began after an internal email from I-PAC management directed employees in West Bengal to go on leave for 20 days. The email, sent late on Saturday night, referred to ‘legal obligations’ and said staff should stay away from office work for the time being. It also stated that management would reconnect with employees after 11 May — a date that has drawn attention because it falls after the state’s polling schedule and counting of votes nationwide are expected to conclude.

The communication has created uncertainty among employees, particularly because it did not clearly specify the nature of the leave. A senior employee, speaking on condition of anonymity, said the lack of clarity had created anxiety among staff and their families.

"Is this paid leave or will we not get any money? Will we be able to rejoin office again? I remember the Covid days when we were asked to go on leave for 20 days and that continued for six months," he said, reflecting concerns among sections of employees about job security.

The same employee also linked the development to the political climate in the state. " The BJP is doing everything to make sure that they come to power by hook or by crook. Everyone knows how I-PAC is associated with all the ranks of the party and its importance in winning the election for TMC," he said.

Another employee, who said he remains on active duty, suggested the leave directive should not be interpreted as a complete halt to operations. According to him, only a section of employees had been asked to go on leave.

"I am on ground. A section of the employees have been asked to go on leave. We have finished all work and it is the procedure of I-PAC to come back from the field 48 hours before the election. The work is done and a team is monitoring intelligence inputs from the ground and sending them to analysts who are working on them on an urgent basis," he said.

Speculation has intensified because I-PAC has already been drawn into legal scrutiny in connection with a coal smuggling investigation. On 8 January, the Enforcement Directorate conducted searches at I-PAC’s Kolkata office as well as the Loudon Street residence of Pratik Jain, who heads the firm.

Chief minister Mamata Banerjee had reached the location during the search and later accused the BJP-led Union government of using Central agencies for political purposes.

Addressing a rally on Sunday, 19 April, without naming I-PAC directly, she said, "Why are you setting the agencies behind us just before the elections? There is no doubt that the BJP is putting immense pressure on the only political agency working for us. I have already spoken to Abhishek and I am telling you none of the staff from the agency will lose their jobs. I will give them jobs."

The matter has since reached the Supreme Court and remains sub judice. Meanwhile, I-PAC director and co-founder Vinesh Chandel was arrested in New Delhi recently and is currently in Enforcement Directorate custody. The arrest triggered a sharp response within Trinamool circles. Abhishek Banerjee, the party’s all India general secretary, criticised the move on social media, writing, ‘This is not democracy; this is intimidation.’

The developments have placed the TMC in a politically sensitive position. I-PAC has been closely associated with the party’s election strategy in recent years, and any disruption in its functioning could affect campaign management at a crucial stage. However, the party continues to maintain that there has been no disruption on the ground and that election preparations are proceeding normally.

The BJP, meanwhile, has seized upon the controversy to question the relationship between political parties and private election strategy firms. Former state BJP president Sukanta Majumder said, "I-PAC is a private company and can decide how it wants to operate. But questions naturally arise when an election strategy firm becomes deeply tied to a political party and gets caught in allegations related to coal smuggling and illegal money."

For now, there has been no detailed public clarification from I-PAC itself, and the lack of an official statement has allowed speculation to persist. The timing of the controversy has further heightened interest, coming as West Bengal enters a crucial phase of the election cycle. With polling approaching and results expected shortly thereafter, the legal and political disputes surrounding I-PAC have added fresh complexity to an already intense contest.