ED Raid at I-PAC Office, CM Mamata Banerjee arrives on the spot

On January 8, 2026, the Enforcement Directorate (ED) conducted a high-voltage raid. This took place at the office of Indian Political Action Committee (I-PAC). It was in a case reportedly linked to the alleged coal scam.

According to sources, the ED began its search operation early in the day. Multiple blue-light ED vehicles were lined up outside the I-PAC office. This lineup signaled the seriousness of the investigation. Officials confirmed that the raid was being carried out following specific inputs related to financial irregularities. 

But What is I-PAC? Why it matters in West-Bengal Politics? 

The Indian Political Action Committee, commonly known as I-PAC, is a professional political consultancy firm. It works behind the scenes of election campaigns. It also manages governance outreach. In West Bengal, I-PAC has been closely associated with the ruling party, the All India Trinamool Congress (TMC). I-PAC helped determine how the party communicates with voters. It decided where the party campaigns.

I-PAC also shaped the message it pushes, both online and on the ground. I-PAC played a central role in several high-impact initiatives:

• Didi-r 10 Ongikar – the flagship campaign for the 2021 West Bengal Assembly elections, which ended in a landslide victory for TMC.
• Didi Ke Bolo – a citizen-connect programme that allowed people to directly register complaints and suggestions to the Chief Minister’s office.
• Didir Sopoth – 2024 – a governance and accountability outreach ahead of the general elections.

These programmes were designed to project Mamata Banerjee as accessible, responsive, and people-centric—a political image that paid dividends electorally. I-PAC was formally appointed as TMC’s official political consultancy firm in June 2019, after the Lok Sabha elections. From that point on, it became deeply embedded in both party strategy. It also became integral to government communication. This made it one of the most influential non-political bodies in Bengal’s power structure. I-PAC was founded by renowned political strategist Prashant Kishor ahead of the 2014 Lok Sabha elections. Its current leadership includes:

• Pratik Jain
• Rishi Raj Singh
• Vinesh Chandel

Pratik Jain has a significant role as he also heads the TMC’s IT cell in West Bengal. This blurs the line between party machinery and professional consultancy. In Bengal politics, I-PAC was never just an agency—it was a power centre. On Wednesday, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee visited the residence of Pratik Jain. He is the head of the political consultancy firm Indian Political Action Committee (I-PAC). This visit occurred even as central agency searches were underway. 

The Chief Minister visited Pratik Jain’s residence. She was accompanied by Sujit Basu. Later, they reached the I-PAC office in Salt Lake. Search operations were still in progress there. Her consecutive visits to a senior I-PAC functionary’s home and later to the organisation’s office have escalated the political intensity. This has drawn sharp attention from both the media and opposition parties. The situation remains fluid. Security is heightened in the Salt Lake area  Sector V. Political reactions are pouring in as developments unfold. 

The situation took a dramatic turn at exactly 12:40 PM. This occurred when West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee arrived at the spot. Her sudden appearance intensified the political temperature. Several national and regional media channels were already present. They were broadcasting live visuals from outside the office. In a parallel development, bundles of documents and files were reportedly recovered from the residence of Pratik Jain. Later, they were seen being loaded into the Chief Minister’s vehicle. ED sources claim that senior-most officials are personally supervising the operation. Pratik Jain was taken along by the ED team for further questioning. 

Meanwhile, the ED moved the Calcutta High Court, alleging illegal interference during its search operations. The agency filed a case citing obstruction and hindrance to the investigation. The matter is scheduled to be heard by Justice Suvra Ghosh on Friday.

This indicates the possible legal escalation of the case. The political confrontation reached its peak. A journalist named Santu Pan from R.Bangla directly asked the Chief Minister about the alleged coal scam. He questioned whether the money was used in the Goa elections. Maintaining an aggressive stance, Mamata Banerjee hit back sharply, saying: “Ask the BJP about this. Ask Amit Shah, Suvendu Adhikari and Jagganath Chatterjee.” Her response did not deny the allegation directly. Instead, it has triggered fresh political controversy. The BJP and Trinamool Congress are expected to engage in a fierce war of words in the coming hours.