In a significant political development, Akhilesh Yadav’s Samajwadi Party has reportedly decided not to continue working with election strategy firm Indian Political Action Committee (I-PAC) for the 2027 Uttar Pradesh Assembly elections.
The decision comes amid a combination of legal controversies, recent electoral setbacks involving opposition parties, and growing internal doubts over the firm’s effectiveness.
Sources said I-PAC, founded by political strategist Prashant Kishor and associates, had been assigned to focus on constituencies where the Samajwadi Party lost narrowly in the 2022 Assembly elections.
However, the party will continue its association with another campaign and social media management firm, Showtime, with which it reportedly signed an agreement around two months ago.
The split follows the arrest of I-PAC co-founder Vinesh Chandel in a money laundering case linked to the alleged coal scam in West Bengal.
The Enforcement Directorate had conducted raids at Chandel’s Delhi premises and alleged that funds connected to illegal coal transactions were routed to Indian PAC Consulting Pvt Ltd, the company operating I-PAC.
According to the ED, the firm allegedly used both formal banking channels and cash transactions to handle payments. Chandel was later released on bail, but the controversy appears to have affected confidence in the organisation.
Political observers say the recent defeats suffered by opposition parties advised by I-PAC also contributed to the Samajwadi Party’s decision.
In West Bengal, Mamata Banerjee and her Trinamool Congress suffered a major setback, while in Tamil Nadu, M. K. Stalin’s Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam lost power to C. Joseph Vijay’s Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam.
Reports also claimed I-PAC had scaled down operations in several states during the final phase of election campaigns, partly due to pressure arising from the ED investigation.
In Uttar Pradesh too, the firm reportedly reduced the size of its teams, affecting the Samajwadi Party’s poll preparations. Feedback from grassroots party workers is also believed to have influenced the final call.
With the 2027 Uttar Pradesh election expected to be a high-stakes battle against the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party, Akhilesh Yadav appears keen to avoid any uncertainty in campaign management.
