Party Structure Destroyed, Internal Blame Game Erupts in Trinamool Congress as Leaders Target I-PAC for Election Setback

Kolkata, May 11, 2026: In the aftermath of a humbling defeat at the hands of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in the recently concluded West Bengal Assembly election, the Trinamool Congress (TMC) appears to be grappling not just with the loss of power but with a deepening internal crisis. A section of senior party leaders has launched a scathing attack on political consultancy firm I-PAC (Indian Political Action Committee), alleging that excessive dependence on external professionals destroyed the party’s grassroots organization and directly contributed to the electoral setback.

The blame game, which has erupted within days of the election results, threatens to widen fissures within the party even as it prepares to sit in the opposition after a decade-long reign. Senior Trinamool Congress leader and Lok Sabha chief whip Kalyan Banerjee has led the charge, making explosive allegations that have sent shockwaves through the party’s rank and file.

The Core Allegation: I-PAC Destroyed the Organization

In an interview with Anandabazar Online, Kalyan Banerjee did not mince words. “I-PAC has completely destroyed the Trinamool Congress organisation,” he stated unequivocally. He further pointed a finger at the party’s national general secretary, Abhishek Banerjee, saying, “Abhishek’s full dependency on I-PAC has not been accepted.”

This is a remarkably candid admission of internal dissent, especially coming from a leader of Kalyan Banerjee’s stature. The Lok Sabha chief whip is not a fringe voice; he represents a section of the old guard that believes the party’s traditional strengths—door-to-door campaigning, booth-level workers, and local strongmen—were sidelined in favor of data-driven, tech-heavy, and professionally managed campaigns.

The criticism raises a fundamental question: Did the TMC lose its organic connect with the grassroots by outsourcing too much of its electoral strategy to an external agency?

A Brief History of TMC’s Association with I-PAC

The Trinamool Congress’s association with I-PAC is not new. The consultancy firm was first roped in ahead of the 2021 West Bengal Assembly election. At that time, the TMC was facing a formidable challenge from a resurgent BJP, which had won 18 Lok Sabha seats from the state in 2019. I-PAC crafted a highly successful campaign that projected Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee as “Bengal’s daughter” (Banglar Meye), a narrative that resonated deeply with the state’s identity-conscious electorate. The result was a spectacular victory: the TMC won 215 seats in the 294-member Assembly, defying most exit polls and cementing Mamata Banerjee’s position as the undisputed leader of the state.

Encouraged by this success, the partnership continued. In the 2024 general election, I-PAC again played a pivotal role, helping the TMC win 29 of West Bengal’s 42 Lok Sabha seats. This was a remarkable performance that positioned the TMC as a major player in national politics and fueled speculation about Abhishek Banerjee’s rising stature.

Given this track record, why is I-PAC now being blamed for the 2026 Assembly defeat? The answer, according to critics within the party, lies in the nature of the consultancy’s involvement. What worked in a high-profile, leader-centric national election may have backfired in a state election where local issues, caste dynamics, and micro-level alliances matter more.

More Voices Join the Chorus

Kalyan Banerjee is not alone in his criticism. Riju Dutta, a former party spokesperson who was recently suspended, has also blamed I-PAC for the defeat, but with an added twist. “I-PAC had been running the party for the past six months. Didi (Mamata Banerjee) and Abhishek Banerjee should take responsibility,” Mr. Dutta said. His statement is significant because it expands the circle of accountability beyond Abhishek Banerjee to include the party supremo herself. By demanding that both Mamata and Abhishek take responsibility, Dutta is indirectly questioning the leadership’s judgment in allowing an external agency to effectively run the party’s affairs.

Other leaders from across districts have also voiced similar concerns. Khageswar Roy, the former Rajganj MLA, and Sourav Chakraborty, a prominent leader from Jalpaiguri, have publicly blamed I-PAC for the electoral setback. These are not isolated voices from Kolkata; they represent district-level leaders who feel that their local knowledge and organizational networks were ignored or overridden by the consultancy’s centralized, data-driven approach.

What Exactly Did I-PAC Do?

While the party’s critics have been vocal about the alleged damage, it is important to understand what I-PAC’s role actually entailed. Political consultancies like I-PAC typically offer a range of services, including:

Data analytics – Identifying swing voters, predicting turnout patterns, and micro-targeting specific demographics.
Campaign strategy – Crafting messaging, managing media buys, and coordinating rallies.
Social media management – Running digital campaigns on platforms like Facebook, WhatsApp, and X (formerly Twitter).
Volunteer management – Mobilizing and training party workers through centralized systems.
Opinion polling and feedback – Conducting rapid surveys to gauge voter sentiment.

In the 2026 election, I-PAC is believed to have taken an even more expansive role, with some insiders alleging that the firm was making decisions on candidate selection, rally schedules, and even post-poll negotiations. It is this perceived overreach that has caused resentment among traditional party workers who feel their decades of service were rendered irrelevant.

The Underlying Tensions: Old Guard vs. New Guard

The attack on I-PAC is, in many ways, a proxy war between two factions within the Trinamool Congress. On one side is the “old guard”—leaders like Kalyan Banerjee, who rose through the ranks over decades, built personal networks, and understand the nuances of Bengal’s complex political landscape. On the other side is the “new guard,” centered around Abhishek Banerjee, which is more comfortable with professionalization, technology, and modern campaign methods.

I-PAC became a symbol of the new guard’s ascendancy. By blaming the consultancy, the old guard is indirectly criticizing Abhishek Banerjee’s leadership and his reliance on outsiders over traditional party loyalists. This internal feud, if not managed carefully, could weaken the TMC’s ability to mount an effective opposition to the newly elected BJP government led by Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari.

Did I-PAC Really Cause the Defeat? A Balanced Analysis

To assess the validity of these allegations, one must consider several factors:

Arguments in favor of the critics:

Loss of local touch: A data-driven campaign may miss hyper-local issues that matter to voters—crop prices, local corruption, or community feuds.
Resentment among workers: When external professionals are seen as running the show, grassroots workers may feel demotivated and less willing to put in long hours.
One-size-fits-all strategy: What works in South Bengal may not work in North Bengal, where the BJP has historically been stronger.

Arguments against blaming I-PAC alone:

Incumbency fatigue: The TMC had been in power for 15 years. Anti-incumbency is a natural phenomenon in any democracy.
BJP’s own campaign: The BJP, led by Suvendu Adhikari, ran an aggressive campaign with a clear “fear out, trust in” message that resonated with voters tired of political violence and corruption allegations.
Leadership factor: Mamata Banerjee’s health and age may have been factors, and the opposition effectively projected a youthful, energetic alternative.

It is also worth noting that I-PAC had delivered two consecutive electoral victories for the TMC (2021 Assembly and 2024 Lok Sabha). Blaming the same agency for one defeat while ignoring its past successes is arguably selective memory.

The Bigger Picture: Political Consultancies in India

The Trinamool Congress’s experience with I-PAC reflects a broader trend in Indian politics. Over the past decade, political consultancies have become increasingly influential. Firms like I-PAC, Prashant Kishor’s I-PAC (earlier known as Citizens for Accountable Governance), and others have worked with major parties across the spectrum—from the BJP to the Congress to regional parties like the YSR Congress and the JDU.

However, the relationship between political parties and consultancies is inherently fraught. Consultancies are hired to win elections, but they do not have to live with the long-term consequences of organizational decay. When a party outsources too much, it risks atrophy of its own cadre. The TMC may now be learning this lesson the hard way.

What Next for the Trinamool Congress?

As the dust settles on the election defeat, the TMC faces several urgent tasks:

Damage control: The leadership must address the internal dissent publicly. If left unchecked, the blame game could lead to defections and further weakening of the party.
Rethinking the I-PAC relationship: Whether to continue the association or terminate it will be a key decision. Continuing could alienate the old guard; terminating could deprive the party of professional expertise.
Rebuilding the organization: The party needs to invest in grassroots training, booth-level committees, and local leadership development.
Mounting an effective opposition: With Suvendu Adhikari now at the helm of the state, the TMC must find its voice as a responsible opposition while rebuilding credibility.

Conclusion

The Trinamool Congress’s post-defeat blame game—targeting I-PAC and, indirectly, Abhishek Banerjee—reveals a party in turmoil. Kalyan Banerjee’s explosive claim that I-PAC “completely destroyed” the party organization is a serious indictment of the party’s internal decision-making. Whether these allegations are rooted in fact or are merely the sound of a defeated party lashing out for scapegoats remains to be seen.

What is clear is that the TMC has entered a critical phase. With the BJP now in power, the party that once dominated Bengal’s political landscape must reinvent itself. The choice is stark: continue blaming external agencies or undertake the painful process of internal reform. For the sake of West Bengal’s democratic health, one hopes the latter prevails.

5 Question & Answers (Q&A) for Exam / Interview Preparation

Q1. Who is the senior Trinamool Congress leader that accused I-PAC of destroying the party organization, and which party leader did he blame for excessive dependency on the consultancy firm?

A1. The senior Trinamool Congress leader who accused I-PAC of destroying the party organization is Kalyan Banerjee, who serves as the party’s Lok Sabha chief whip. In an interview with Anandabazar Online, he specifically blamed Abhishek Banerjee, the party’s national general secretary, for the excessive dependency on I-PAC. Kalyan Banerjee stated, “Abhishek’s full dependency on I-PAC has not been accepted.”

Q2. What were the previous electoral successes achieved by the Trinamool Congress with I-PAC’s help, and in which years were these achieved?

A2. The Trinamool Congress achieved two major electoral successes with I-PAC’s help:

2021 West Bengal Assembly election: Riding on a successful campaign that projected Mamata Banerjee as “Bengal’s daughter,” the TMC won 215 seats in the 294-member Assembly.
2024 general election (Lok Sabha): I-PAC helped the TMC win 29 of West Bengal’s 42 Lok Sabha seats.

Despite this successful track record, the party suffered a defeat in the subsequent Assembly election, leading to the current blame game against I-PAC.

Q3. What did former party spokesperson Riju Dutta say about I-PAC’s role, and whom did he hold responsible along with Abhishek Banerjee?

A3. Riju Dutta, a former Trinamool Congress spokesperson who was recently suspended, made two significant claims:

He stated that I-PAC had been running the party for the past six months.
He held both Mamata Banerjee (Didi) and Abhishek Banerjee responsible for the defeat, saying, “Didi and Abhishek Banerjee should take responsibility.”

Dutta’s statement is notable because it expands accountability beyond Abhishek Banerjee to include the party supremo herself.

Q4. Name two other district-level Trinamool Congress leaders who have blamed I-PAC for the electoral setback, along with their respective constituencies.

A4. Two other district-level Trinamool Congress leaders who have publicly blamed I-PAC for the electoral setback are:

Khageswar Roy – former MLA from Rajganj (in Jalpaiguri district, North Bengal)
Sourav Chakraborty – a prominent leader from Jalpaiguri

Their criticism indicates that the discontent against I-PAC is not limited to Kolkata-based leaders but extends to grassroots and district-level functionaries who feel their local influence was undermined.

Q5. According to the report, what is the underlying internal tension within the Trinamool Congress that the blame on I-PAC represents?

A5. The blame on I-PAC represents a deeper proxy war between two factions within the Trinamool Congress:

The “old guard” (represented by leaders like Kalyan Banerjee) who rose through decades of grassroots work, built personal networks, and understand Bengal’s complex local politics. They believe traditional campaigning methods were sidelined.
The “new guard” (centered around Abhishek Banerjee) which favors professionalization, data-driven strategies, technology, and modern campaign methods.

I-PAC became a symbol of the new guard’s ascendancy. By blaming the consultancy, the old guard is indirectly criticizing Abhishek Banerjee’s leadership and his reliance on external professionals over traditional party loyalists. This internal feud threatens to weaken the TMC as it moves into opposition.

Party Structure Destroyed, Internal Blame Game Erupts in Trinamool Congress as Leaders Target I-PAC for Election Setback