Samajwadi Party President Akhilesh Yadav suggested that the BJP is on track for a loss in the upcoming West Bengal Assembly elections. This assertion follows Enforcement Directorate (ED) raids on the Indian Political Action Committee (I-PAC), indicating the BJP’s desperation according to Yadav.
The ED conducted searches at the Salt Lake Sector V office of I-PAC, a political consultancy firm associated with the Trinamool Congress since 2019. A specialized team from Delhi was deployed to Kolkata for this operation.
During the raids, the ED also visited the residence of I-PAC co-founder Pratik Jain on Loudon Street, where the search lasted for several hours. Jain plays a crucial role in the organization’s election strategies.
West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee personally visited Jain’s residence and later the I-PAC office, engaging with the staff. Kolkata Police Commissioner Manoj Verma was also present during the operation.
The ED clarified that the searches are related to an old case in Delhi concerning alleged coal smuggling, with financial transactions involving I-PAC. The agency emphasized that the raids are not tied to any election, countering claims by the Chief Minister linking them to the upcoming Assembly elections.
The sudden ED action caught the I-PAC team off guard as they were actively preparing for the West Bengal polls. The Chief Minister criticized the raids, alleging political bias and accusing Union Home Minister Amit Shah of orchestrating them. The Trinamool Congress has consistently accused central agencies of targeting opposition entities before elections.
The ED, however, maintains that the raids are part of an ongoing investigation and denies any political motives behind them.
