Seen as among India’s most prominent political consulting, Indian Political Action Committee (I-PAC), that inspired many more similar political consultancies, is facing internal pull and push, something that it has never felt before in close to ten years of its existence.
It has emerged that a conflict of sorts has been going on between the founder of I-PAC, Prashant Kishor, who is now no longer formally associated with the company, and its existing three directors, Rishi Raj Singh, Vinesh Chandel and Pratik Jain.
Sources aware of the matter told The Sunday Guardian that close to 90 I-PAC staff, who were working in various capacities for the ruling Trinamool Congress government in West Bengal, are now no longer a part of the organization.
This happened, apparently, after Kishor, who shares a warm relationship with TMC number two, Abhishek Banerjee told the latter that he was no longer handling or responsible for I-PAC in West Bengal. I-PAC had got the contract to work in West Bengal, supporters of Kishor claim, because of Kishor’s reputation and relationship with Banerjee.
It has emerged that because of the conflict that is taking place between Kishor and the people at helm at I-PAC, Kishor decided to withdraw his “blessings” and support to I-PAC in West Bengal.
Similarly, in the last week of December 2023, Kishor flew to Andhra Pradesh and had a one-to-one close door meeting with Telugu Desam Party (TDP) president Chandrababu Naidu, who is considered as among the most prominent political foes of Jagan Mohan Reddy, Chief Minister of Andhra Pradesh and chief of Yuvajana Sramika Rythu Congress Party (YSRCP).
Kishor, who has been spending time in Bihar for the better part of the last two years, flew to Vijayawada, Andhra Pradesh, from Hyderabad, Telangana, in a private plane with TDP general secretary and Chandrababu Naidu’s son, Nara Lokesh.
He was also accompanied by members of ShowTime Consulting, another political consultancy founded by Robin Sharma, who has worked for I-PAC in the past when Kishor was at the helm. Showtime has been advising the TDP for some time now.
It is interesting to note that I-PAC is working for YSRCP in Andhra Pradesh, where its operations are being handled directly by Rishi Raj Singh, one of the three directors of the company.
As soon as it emerged that Kishor had met TDP leaders, I-PAC was quick to put out posts on social media platforms that it would continue to work for YSRCP, thereby fuelling speculation that Kishor and I-PAC had parted ways for all practical purposes. The recent developments in West Bengal have stamped this assertion.
Emails sent to I-PAC media team for a response on these developments did not generate a response till the time the report went to print. Singh too didn’t respond to The Sunday
Guardian’s message.