Akhilesh ends ties with I-PAC after TMC, DMK poll defeats
What's the story
The Samajwadi Party (SP) has reportedly decided to end its association with the election management firm Indian Political Action Committee (I-PAC) for the upcoming Uttar Pradesh elections. The decision comes after electoral defeats faced by I-PAC in West Bengal and Tamil Nadu. While the SP had never officially announced a formal tie-up with I-PAC, reports said that the party had roped in I-PAC to work in constituencies where they lost by narrow margins during the 2022 elections.
New partnership
SP to continue with Showtime
Both the Trinamool Congress and the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam had worked with I-PAC in the lead-up to the elections, where both lost in their respective states. When pressed by reporters about the snub, Yadav joked, "We simply don't have funds. If you (the media) give us funds, we can hire another company." Per NDTV, after ending ties with I-PAC, the SP will continue its association with another election management and social media firm, Showtime.
Controversies unfold
Arrest of I-PAC co-founder Chandel in coal scam case
The decision to part ways with I-PAC also comes a month after its co-founder Vinesh Chandel was arrested in a money laundering case linked to an alleged coal scam in West Bengal. The Enforcement Directorate (ED) had raided Chandel's Delhi property and was later arrested. It alleged that a hawala operator helped transfer large sums of money to Indian PAC Consulting Pvt Ltd, which runs I-PAC. Chandel was released on bail last week after the Bengal polls were concluded.
Performance scrutiny
SP leadership uneasy after ED raids
The ED also alleged that I-PAC had a model to circulate these funds and convert black money into white. According to SP insiders, the timing of the raids had already made some members of the party leadership nervous. Sources told India Today, on the same day ED authorities were conducting searches at I-PAC's Kolkata office, representatives from the firm were in Lucknow giving a presentation to Samajwadi Party leaders about a prospective collaboration for the 2027 elections.