Kolkata in Turmoil as Mamata Banerjee Intervenes During ED Raids at I-PAC

High drama unfolded in Kolkata on Thursday when West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee rushed to the residence of Trinamool Congress (TMC) election strategist Prateek Jain and the office of political consultancy group I-PAC during Enforcement Directorate (ED) raids, exiting with several files in her possession. The unprecedented actions have triggered intense controversy, intensifying the political tussle in poll-bound Bengal and drawing sharp criticism from the BJP.

Raids at I-PAC LocationsThe day began with ED raids at two key locations linked to I-PAC: Jain’s residence in Loudon Street, central Kolkata, and the consultancy’s Salt Lake office. I-PAC, founded by Prashant Kishor and closely associated with the TMC, has played a pivotal role in the party’s election strategies in previous years. Jain took over TMC’s election planning after Kishor shifted focus to Bihar.

During the raids, Kolkata Police Chief Vineet Goyal was first on site, followed by Mamata Banerjee, who emerged visibly upset carrying a green file. She later proceeded to the Salt Lake office, entering through a back door and leaving 15–20 minutes later with officials from her office, carrying multiple files loaded into her car.

Mamata’s AllegationsAddressing the media, Mamata alleged the ED action was “politically motivated” under Union Home Minister Amit Shah’s influence. She claimed the agency was attempting to seize confidential TMC election strategy documents, including candidate lists for the 2026 elections. The Chief Minister described the raids as an effort to “steal files” critical to the party’s electoral planning.

ED and BJP ResponseThe ED stated that Mamata, her aides, and police personnel “forcibly removed” physical documents and electronic evidence during the raids. It maintained that the investigations were not politically motivated and were unrelated to elections, instead focusing on a money laundering case allegedly linked to proceeds from the Bengal coal scam that were traced to I-PAC’s work in the 2022 Goa Assembly elections.

The BJP criticized Mamata’s intervention, arguing that the Chief Minister’s actions suggest a deeper conspiracy and raised questions about what might be hidden in the seized files.

Contents of the FilesDetails about the files remain unclear. Visuals showed one marked “February 2022” and another containing travel records of TMC leaders, including a reference to MP Mahua Moitra. Questions remain about whether the files were already in ED possession or taken while the raids were ongoing.

The developments have further escalated tensions between the Mamata government and the BJP-led Centre, adding to the political drama ahead of the upcoming elections in West Bengal.