ED Raid: What is I-PAC, how many political parties including Mamata’s TMC are associated with it? ED raids office in West Bengal

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There has been a storm in the politics of West Bengal after the Enforcement Directorate (ED) raid on the office of I-PAC.

There has been a storm in the politics of West Bengal after the Enforcement Directorate (ED) raid on the Kolkata office of I-PAC i.e. Indian Political Action Committee on Thursday.As soon as the information about the raid was received, CM Mamata Banerjee reached the house of one of its key officials, Prateek Jain. He has attacked Union Home Minister Amit Shah. Mamta has said that it is unfortunate that her IT cell office has been raided by ED maliciously. The officers have also seized the hard disk filled with all the important data.

Let us know with this excuse what is I-PAC? How does this organization work? For which political parties did you run campaigns? What is Prashant Kishor’s relation with this organization? Who are the people working, how is the connection with the coal scam? Know the answers to these questions.

What is I-PAC?

I-PAC i.e. Indian Political Action Committee is one of the most popular political consulting organizations in the field of election strategy and political communication in India. In simple words, it works like an election campaign machine for any political party or leader. Its main work is to formulate and implement election strategy with the help of data, research, ground-work, media-management and technology.

I-PAC also describes itself as a cross-party organization that works with different parties. It is said to have started in the year 2013 as Citizens for Accountable Governance (CAG), which later came to be known as I-PAC. Founder of Jan Suraj, election strategist Prashant Kishore has been among its founders.

Why ED action?

According to media reports, this raid was related to a case of money laundering and in some media reports it was also seen as a link to the old case related to coal scam. Official information has not been revealed yet in this matter. In such a situation, it is important to keep in mind that search or investigation does not mean conviction. What conclusion the investigating agency reaches depends on the subsequent legal process and official documents.

How does I-PAC work?

The functioning of I-PAC is generally considered to rest on four big pillars.

  • Ground Network and Field Operation: Deploying teams up to booth, ward, gram panchayat level, identification of local issues, planning public relations campaigns, programmes, rallies, outreach and coordination with party cadre.
  • Research and Insights: Surveys, focus groups, door-to-door feedback, local social mapping, assessment of strengths and weaknesses of opposing parties, so that data-based messages and agenda can be created.
  • Data, Technology and War-Room: Operation of election war-room, dashboard, tracking system, micro-targeting, monitoring of booth-level targets, digital tools, apps and coordination.
  • Digital, Media and Communication: Integrating social media content, video, design, speeches, scripts, press narratives, and online-offline messaging—to maintain control of brand image and election narrative.

Mamta targeted the center

How did it start and what was the role of Prashant Kishore?

According to the website of I-PAC, this organization was started in the year 2013 as CAG. Later it came to be known as I-PAC. The name of Jan Suraj founder Prashant Kishore was associated with the identity of I-PAC for a long time.

In media analytics, he is considered the face of popularizing modern, data-driven election management on a large scale. Later, when PK himself decided to contest the elections, he separated from this organization. It is possible that they are separated on paper and help the team strategically. Experts believe that the operational control of I-PAC is in some form or the other with him and the team he has prepared.

Who is I-PAC headed?

I-PAC is a private organization. Prateek Jain is said to be the head of I-PAC, whose Kolkata residence has also been raided by ED. He has also been referred to as co-founder/director in some media reports. The names of two other directors are also listed on the website, these include Rishi Raj Singh and Vinesh Chandel. In such a situation, a total of three directors are officially registered on the official website. This organization was founded by Prashant Kishore.

Which campaigns did I-PAC run for which parties and leaders?

A list of many major campaigns according to the states is available on the website of I-PAC. For example, Nitish’s seven decisions were implemented in the year 2015. In the year 2017, when Congress was in the fray in Punjab under the leadership of Captain Amarinder Singh, this organization gave impetus to the ‘Captain Give 9 Nukte’ campaign. In the same year, UP Kisan Yatra campaign started and in the year 2019, in Andhra Pradesh, the campaign Jaganannas Navratnalu related to YS Jagan Mohan Reddy became very popular and Reddy came to the government.

The same organization launched Shiv Sena Vachanama in Maharashtra in the year 2019 and also started 10 guarantees of Kejriwal in the year 2020 and 15 guarantees of Kejriwal in the year 2025. The same organization also campaigned for Trinamool Congress in West Bengal in the years 2021 and 2024. In the year 2021 itself, the organization also campaigned for DMK and party leader MK Stalin in Tamil Nadu. This list posted on the organization’s website shows that I-PAC has worked with different parties in different states.

What is the strength of I-PAC?

I-PAC on its website claims to network at several levels. According to this, at present 350 colleges, more than 280 organizations, more than 82 thousand youth, 11 hundred close groups and more than four hundred members are associated with this organization in some way or the other. Practically, it can be said that during election time this organization has more work force in different states. Only then are they able to manage the work like a professional team. These may include a good number of managers, researchers, people with knowledge of data/tech, content/digital. Field network scaling during elections, the number of associates naturally increases suddenly.

How much salary does I-PAC pay the team?

The salary structure of I-PAC varies with role and experience. No salary figures are visible on its website but it is believed that appropriate salaries and allowances are given for such work. Because this is not an everyday job. If the organization gets work, it will hire people, in such a situation, professionals who know that a particular work is for a few months or one or two years only, then they charge the full price. Due to the nature of the campaign, demands such as working hours and location-transfers may also be higher. This is a general characteristic of this sector.

Which people work?

I-PACs generally include young professionals, people with research and public policy interests, those with data/tech backgrounds, digital creators, and field management profiles. The roles broadly cover campaigns, field operations, research, data, tech, digital media and support staff. Along with this, some people are also deployed in HR, Admin, Finance, Legal wing, who are available almost all the time.

What are the implications of being involved in the coal scam?

According to media reports, ED’s action was taken as part of money laundering investigation and some reports have linked it to the coal case. What is the truth, it will be known only when some concrete and official facts are given by ED. Right now this is just an estimate.

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