Kolkata, 20 April (H.S.): Ahead of the West Bengal Assembly elections, a decision by Indian Political Action Committee—the agency handling campaign strategy for the All India Trinamool Congress—to suspend its work for 20 days has stirred significant political activity. Reports suggest that late on Saturday night, the organisation emailed its campaign staff, asking them to go on a 20-day break. When the news surfaced on Sunday, the party initially dismissed it as false. However, by evening, Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee acknowledged that I-PAC had indeed paused operations. The party has since deployed an alternative team to manage campaign activities.
Sources indicate that I-PAC’s withdrawal just before the first phase of polling—scheduled for Thursday across 152 constituencies—had raised concerns within the party. Despite this, the Trinamool Congress maintains that its in-house professional team is already active and will now take charge of campaign execution, booth management, and election-day monitoring. This team, reportedly operating under the supervision of Abhishek Banerjee’s office, had been working in several districts and has now been assigned expanded responsibilities. At the booth level, WhatsApp groups are being set up to relay real-time updates on voter turnout, EVM sealing times, and local developments.
Meanwhile, uncertainty prevails among I-PAC employees, with reports of logistical support such as vehicle arrangements being withdrawn in several districts. Against this backdrop, Mamata Banerjee addressed a public gathering, assuring that no worker would be left unemployed. She stated that those associated with the party’s campaign would be supported and provided work if displaced.
Notably, recent actions by the Enforcement Directorate have reportedly increased pressure on several I-PAC functionaries. In its internal communication, the organisation cited legal reasons for temporarily halting operations. While the Trinamool Congress insists that its campaign continues as planned without disruption, political observers believe that I-PAC’s temporary exit could still influence the electoral dynamics in the state.
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Hindusthan Samachar / Priyanka Pandey
