TMC vs BJP Escalates After ED Raid on I-PAC Office Ahead of Bengal Polls

Kolkata:
A major political confrontation has erupted in West Bengal ahead of the upcoming Assembly elections following an Enforcement Directorate (ED) raid on the Kolkata office of political consultancy firm Indian Political Action Committee (I-PAC) and the residence of its co-founder Pratik Jain. The development has intensified the ongoing battle between the ruling Trinamool Congress (TMC) and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), with both sides taking the fight from the streets to social media.

TMC supremo and Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee accused the BJP of misusing central investigative agencies to target political opponents, alleging that the ruling party at the Centre is resorting to “institutional pressure” as it is unable to defeat TMC democratically in Bengal. Launching the party’s campaign slogan — “Jotoi Koro Hamla, Abar Jitbe Bangla” (No matter how many attacks, Bengal will win again) — Banerjee personally led protests and is set to spearhead further demonstrations in Kolkata.

The BJP, however, has strongly countered these allegations. Party leaders claimed that the ED raid was part of an investigation into an alleged coal scam and hawala transactions, and accused the Chief Minister of interfering with an ongoing probe. BJP spokesperson Sambit Patra alleged that Banerjee, accompanied by state police officials, entered the raid location and removed documents, calling it “unprecedented and condemnable”.

The ED has reportedly accused the Chief Minister and senior Kolkata Police officials of obstructing its investigation and has sought a CBI inquiry into the incident. The agency and I-PAC have both approached the Calcutta High Court, where their petitions are listed for hearing before Justice Suvra Ghosh.

Meanwhile, TMC has launched an aggressive counter-offensive. Party leaders and MPs staged protests in Delhi, while social media platforms were flooded with posts accusing the BJP of political vendetta. TMC MP Mahua Moitra was briefly detained by Delhi Police during a protest, further escalating tensions.

TMC General Secretary Abhishek Banerjee invoked the “Bengali pride” narrative, asserting that Bengal would resist and defeat what he described as external political interference. On the other hand, Leader of Opposition Suvendu Adhikari termed the events surrounding the raid as “lawlessness” and accused the state government of shielding corruption.

The controversy comes at a time when the BJP has emerged as a significant electoral force in Bengal. While TMC secured 215 seats in the 2021 Assembly elections, the BJP won 77 seats, marking a dramatic rise from its negligible presence in earlier polls.

As political temperatures soar, the ED raid has become a flashpoint that could reshape electoral narratives in the state. Whether the episode strengthens TMC’s victimhood pitch or bolsters BJP’s corruption allegations remains a crucial question as Bengal heads toward another high-stakes electoral battle.