Deccan Chronicle

Impressed with I-PAC, TMC to renew its contract till 2026

- RAJIB CHOWDHURI | DC

Impressed by the contributi­on of Indian Political Action Committee (I-PAC) in its victory in the West Bengal Assembly Election, the ruling Trinamul Congress is going to renew the contract with election strategist Prashant Kishor’s political consulting firm for the next five years.

Though the financial amount of the deal is yet to be exactly known like the first one, the contract would cover the party’s expansion plans in other states and preparatio­n for the Lok Sabha election in 2024 also, Trinamul Congress insiders revealed, adding that the formalitie­s of the agreement are already underway while I-PAC continues to render it’s services based in the city.

One of the latest instances of IPAC brainchild is Duare Tran (relief at doors) initiative of the state government for the affected of Cyclone Yaas devastatio­n in line of Duare Sarkar (government at doors) ahead of the Assembly polls.

The contract renewal of I-PAC comes after a month of the Trinamul Congress returning to power in the state for the third consecutiv­e time beating the BJP.

But before the Lok Sabha elections, the state is expected to go to the municipal polls which have been put on hold by the TMC government due to the Covid-19 pandemic over the last one year.

According to sources, I-PAC will also work for the Trinamul Congress in the state level elections.

However, the involvemen­t of Kishor in the extension of the contract has been kept secret, sources said, since he earlier wished to leave the field of political consulting after May 2 but was found in his role later.

Only last week he had called on NCP president Sharad Pawar at his residence in Mumbai and held talks with him for around three hours.

At present Kishor is working for Punjab Chief Minister Amrinder Singh as his chief adviser.

I-PAC was earlier roped in by chief minister Mamata Banerjee on the suggestion of her MP nephew Abhishek for their party’s survival after the BJP bagged 18 out of 42 Lok Sabha seats in the state in 2019.

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