SP in talks with I-PAC for UP polls drive; agency begins groundwork in select constituencies

LUCKNOW: Samajwadi Party is in talks with Indian Political Action Committee (I-PAC) — the political consultants specialising in designing campaigns and strategic initiatives — to engage the agency for the 2027 UP elections campaign. Sources said the agency has already started spadework for the project at the grassroots in some select assembly constituencies to prepare a sample of the campaign design for a detailed presentation before the party leadership. Senior SP leaders said the agency was yet to set up its camp office in Lucknow or meet party's election strategists and campaign in-charges to formally exchange notes.I-PAC is managing the poll campaign of Trinamool Congress in West Bengal and made headlines last month when the Enforcement Directorate raided its office in Kolkata, leading to a showdown between chief minister Mamata Banerjee and the agency which comes under the purview of the central govt. I-PAC, which is now led by Pratik Jain, was founded by Jan Suraaj Party chief Prashant Kishor who shot to limelight for designing the election campaigns of political bigwigs including PM Narendra Modi in 2014, Bihar CM Nitish Kumar in 2015, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi in 2017 and West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee for TMC's 2021 assembly polls and 2024 Lok Sabha polls. tnn