Samajwadi Party is reportedly preparing to distance itself from political consultancy firm Indian Political Action Committee (I-PAC) ahead of the 2027 Uttar Pradesh Assembly elections, with party insiders citing concerns over the recent electoral setbacks suffered by parties associated with the consultancy in states such as West Bengal and Tamil Nadu. Sources indicated that the leadership of the party now prefers to rely on its own organisational structure and internal campaign machinery rather than depending on an external political consulting firm.
Although the party led by Akhilesh Yadav never officially announced a formal partnership with I-PAC, sources within the organisation stated that discussions regarding a possible campaign-management arrangement had been ongoing for several months. According to insiders, those discussions have now effectively been put on hold and are unlikely to move forward in the near future.
Party sources said the reassessment gained momentum following the recent election defeats of Mamata Banerjee in West Bengal and M. K. Stalin in Tamil Nadu. I-PAC was widely believed to have been involved in campaign strategy and election management in both states. The poor electoral outcomes reportedly prompted sections of the Samajwadi Party leadership to reconsider whether association with the consultancy would politically benefit the party before the crucial 2027 contest in Uttar Pradesh.
According to insiders, senior leaders within the SP increasingly believe that the party should strengthen its own cadre-based network and revive traditional political mobilisation methods rather than outsourcing campaign planning and election operations to professional consultants. Sources indicated that there is a growing opinion within the party that direct grassroots engagement and local political machinery would be more effective in Uttar Pradesh’s complex caste and regional political environment.
The decision to distance itself from I-PAC also reportedly comes against the backdrop of controversy surrounding the consultancy earlier this year. The Enforcement Directorate had conducted searches at I-PAC’s office in Kolkata as well as at the residence of I-PAC co-founder Pratik Jain in connection with a money-laundering investigation linked to an alleged coal smuggling case.
Those raids had triggered a major political controversy in West Bengal at the time, particularly after Mamata Banerjee personally visited the I-PAC office during the searches and accused central agencies of targeting election-related data and political strategy material associated with her party.
Sources within the Samajwadi Party claimed that the timing of those Enforcement Directorate raids had already caused discomfort among certain sections of the party leadership. According to insiders, representatives from I-PAC were reportedly present in Lucknow on the same day that ED officials were conducting searches in Kolkata. The consultancy team was allegedly giving a presentation to Samajwadi Party leaders regarding a possible collaboration for the 2027 Assembly elections.
Party insiders said this episode, combined with the later electoral reverses faced by parties linked with I-PAC in Bengal and Tamil Nadu, reinforced concerns within the SP leadership that close association with the consultancy could bring unnecessary political baggage or negative perception ahead of the Uttar Pradesh elections.
Despite these reports, neither the Samajwadi Party nor I-PAC has officially issued any public statement confirming or denying a split or cancellation of discussions. Sources suggested that the party is unlikely to formally comment on the matter and may quietly move away from the proposed arrangement without making any direct announcement.
The 2027 Uttar Pradesh Assembly election is expected to emerge as a high-stakes political battle primarily between the Samajwadi Party and the Bharatiya Janata Party. In recent months, Akhilesh Yadav has intensified his criticism of the BJP government on issues such as unemployment, caste census demands, law and order concerns, and farmers’ issues as the opposition party begins preparing for the next electoral contest in the country’s most politically significant state.
