The arrest of Indian Political Action Committee (I-PAC) co-founder and director Vinesh Chandel by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) in a money laundering case has once again triggered a debate over the functioning of the organisation and its leadership.
The ED arrested Chandel late on Monday night in connection with an alleged coal scam in West Bengal. A local court in Delhi has remanded him to judicial custody for 10 days.
Chandel’s premises in Delhi, along with those of I-PAC co-founder and director Rishi Raj Singh in Bengaluru and former Aam Aadmi Party communications in-charge Vijay Nair in Mumbai, were raided by the ED on April 2 as part of the investigation.
Earlier, on January 8, similar raids were conducted at the I-PAC office and at the Kolkata residence of its founder and director Pratik Jain. The move had drawn resistance from West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee.
Critics say this is not an isolated incident, alleging that I-PAC leaders have increasingly been involved in controversies instead of focusing on their core role of designing election strategies for political parties.
According to sources, such concerns have grown after the exit of Prashant Kishor, the original founder of I-PAC.
During his tenure, the organisation was credited with playing a key role in the electoral success of the YSR Congress Party in Andhra Pradesh.
However, after leadership transitioned to Rishi Raj Singh, critics allege that the organisation’s focus shifted.
Instead of concentrating on political strategy, it is claimed that the team became involved in broader political and administrative activities.
Sources also allege that the leadership failed to accurately assess public sentiment and relied on flawed or misleading surveys, which may have impacted strategic decisions.
There are also claims that internal influence extended to candidate selection and other key political processes.
Additionally, critics argue that the organisation did not adequately evaluate the impact of alliances such as the TDP–Jana Sena–BJP combine, instead promoting overly optimistic projections.
While these allegations remain claims from political sources, they have intensified scrutiny on I-PAC’s operations.
Observers note that further developments in the ongoing investigations may shed more light on the functioning and role of the organisation in political campaigns.