Where Did I-PAC Chief Pratik Jain Work Before Political Consultancy? Mamata Banerjee’s Poll Strategist Is An IIT-B Graduate

West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee has announced to lead a protest in Kolkata on January 9 following the Enforcement Directorate (ED) raids at the IPAC office in connection with the alleged fake government job scam. T

A political storm hit West Bengal today as the Enforcement Directorate raided I-PAC director Pratik Jain. However, in an unprecedented move, Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee rushed to help Jain, who is among the three directors of the I-PAC, the political consultancy group that oversees and manages Trinamool Congress' days to day poll plans and social media presence. 

Now, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee has announced to lead a protest in Kolkata on January 9 following the Enforcement Directorate (ED) raids at the IPAC office in connection with the alleged fake government job scam. The Enforcement Directorate (ED) accused West Bengal CM Banerjee of entering the residential premises of Prateek Jain, the director of top political consultancy group I-PAC, during its ongoing search operation in Kolkata and taking away "key evidence", including physical documents and electronic devices.

In a statement, the ED said that its team was conducting the search proceedings in a peaceful and professional manner until the arrival of the West Bengal Chief Minister, along with a large number of police officials. "Banerjee entered the residential premises of Prateek Jain, and took away key evidence, including physical documents and electronic devices," reads the ED statement.

Earlier today, Mamata Banerjee visited the I-PAC office on a public road and accused the central agency of unlawfully seizing party-related data, laptops, mobile phones, and strategic documents. She alleged that forensic experts transferred data during the raid, calling it a "crime" and daring Union Home Minister Amit Shah to fight the Trinamool Congress (TMC) democratically in Bengal. The Chief Minister maintained that I-PAC is not a private organisation but an authorised team of the All India Trinamool Congress (AITC). She claimed the ED confiscated sensitive party documents, including data related to the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls, despite the TMC being a registered political party that regularly submits income tax details.

Pratik Jain's Past Job Stint

At the heart of the controversy is Pratik Jain, co-founder and director of the I-PAC, a company once run by Prashant Kishor. Pratik Jain is a former engineer who transitioned into political consulting and went on to co-found I-PAC in 2015 alongside Vinesh Chandel and Rishi Raj Singh. With over a decade of experience in political strategy, he has played a key role in shaping the organisation.

Jain completed his engineering degree in metallurgical engineering and materials science from the Indian Institute of Technology, Bombay (IIT-B). During his academic years, he also gained industry exposure through an internship with Axis Mutual Fund.

After graduating, Jain began his professional journey in 2012 as an analyst at Deloitte. He later became a founding member of Citizens for Accountable Governance, a non-profit organisation aimed at strengthening transparent and responsible governance in India, as stated on its LinkedIn profile. This initiative eventually evolved into I-PAC.

In addition to his consultancy work, Jain heads the IT cell of West Bengal’s ruling party, the Trinamool Congress, a role publicly confirmed by Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee.

I-PAC's Political Association

The political consultancy has worked for a number of states and political parties in India. It had worked for MK Stalin's DMK, Rahul Gandhi's Congress, YSRCP of Jagan Reddy and Arvind Kejriwal's Aam Aadmi Party. It also worked for Nitish Kumar's JDU in 2015 when he was not part of the NDA/BJP.

BJP Reacts To Raids

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Thursday mounted a sharp attack on TMC supremo following her visit to the Kolkata office of political consultancy firm I-PAC, which was raided by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) in connection with the alleged fake government job scam. In a post on X, the BJP alleged that Banerjee's actions during the ED raid raised "disturbing questions" and indicated a "deeper conspiracy." The party claimed that the sight of a sitting Chief Minister rushing to an investigation site to secure party documents and hard disks was not damage control but suggested an attempt to hide incriminating evidence.

"If there is nothing to hide in West Bengal, why would a Chief Minister scramble to secure files from an official investigation site?" the BJP said, asserting that the truth would eventually come out and that Bengal would "vote for the BJP."  (With ANI inputs)