Akhilesh Cuts I-PAC Ties Ahead Of 2027 UP polls, Cites Funds Crunch

SP ends I-PAC tie-up ahead of 2027 UP polls, cites funding

The Samajwadi Party (SP) has ended its association with political consultancy firm Indian Political Action Committee ahead of the 2027 Uttar Pradesh Assembly elections, with party president Akhilesh Yadav citing lack of funds as the primary reason. 

Addressing a press conference on Wednesday, Yadav said the party could not continue the arrangement due to financial constraints. “Yes, we had an association. They worked with us for a few months, but we are not able to continue because we do not have that kind of funding,” he said, according to PTI. 

He also dismissed suggestions that the decision was linked to recent election outcomes. In a lighter remark, Yadav said that if the party wanted to work with a “winning agency”, there were several options, adding that some had suggested hiring multiple firms for surveys, social media work and other campaign-related activities. The SP had earlier engaged I-PAC as part of its preparations for the 2027 polls. 

The consultancy has worked on election campaigns across states and has previously been associated with political strategist Prashant Kishor. However, separate reporting by The Indian Express has pointed to additional factors behind the decision, citing sources within the party. 

According to The Indian Express, the arrest of I-PAC co-founder Vinesh Chandel by the Enforcement Directorate in a money-laundering case raised concerns about the firm’s functioning at a key stage of election preparations. The report also said there were internal discussions within SP on the extent of reliance on an external consultancy. Some leaders favoured strengthening the party’s own organisational network and feedback systems rather than depending heavily on outside agencies, it said. 

In addition, The Indian Express reported that recent election cycles in which I-PAC was involved, including in West Bengal and Tamil Nadu, formed part of the party’s internal assessment. The report noted that perceptions around these campaigns contributed to a more cautious approach, though no official statement from SP has linked these factors directly to the decision. 

Reportedly, I-PAC scaled down certain activities during the West Bengal campaign following investigative action, which raised concerns about continuity of work. There has been no detailed public statement from I-PAC on the development. 

The SP’s decision comes as political parties begin early preparations for the 2027 Uttar Pradesh Assembly elections, where campaign planning and organisational strategy are expected to play a key role.

The Samajwadi Party (SP) has ended its association with political consultancy firm Indian Political Action Committee ahead of the 2027 Uttar Pradesh Assembly elections, with party president Akhilesh Yadav citing lack of funds as the primary reason. 

 Addressing a press conference on Wednesday, Yadav said the party could not continue the arrangement due to financial constraints. “Yes, we had an association. They worked with us for a few months, but we are not able to continue because we do not have that kind of funding,” he said, according to PTI. 

He also dismissed suggestions that the decision was linked to recent election outcomes. On a lighter note, Yadav said that if the party wanted to work with a “winning agency”, there were several options, adding that some leaders had suggested hiring multiple firms for surveys, social media work and other campaign-related activities.

The SP had earlier engaged I-PAC as part of its preparations for the 2027 polls. The consultancy has worked on election campaigns across states and has previously been associated with political strategist Prashant Kishor.

However, another news report pointed to other factors that may have compelled the decision, citing sources within the Samajwadi Party. According to an Indian Express report, the arrest of I-PAC co-founder Vinesh Chandel by the Enforcement Directorate in an alleged money-laundering case raised concerns about the firm’s functioning at a key stage of election preparations. The report also said there were internal discussions within the SP on the extent of reliance on an external consultancy.

Some SP leaders favoured strengthening the party’s organisational network and feedback systems rather than depending heavily on outside agencies, said the report. Recent election cycles in which I-PAC was involved, including West Bengal and Tamil Nadu, formed part of the party’s internal assessment, added the report. Perceptions around these campaigns contributed to a more cautious approach, though no official statement from the SP has linked these factors directly to the decision. 

Reportedly, I-PAC scaled down certain activities during the West Bengal campaign following investigative action, which raised concerns about continuity of work. There has been no detailed public statement from I-PAC on the development. 

The SP’s decision comes as political parties begin early preparations for the 2027 Uttar Pradesh Assembly elections, where campaign planning and organisational strategy are expected to play a key role.

SOURCES USED: PTI REPORT; 

Samajwadi Party president Akhilesh Yadav on Wednesday said his party has severed its association with the Indian Political Action Committee (I-PAC) due to a lack of funds.

He dismissed speculations that the termination of contract was because of recent election results.

Addressing a press conference here, Yadav said the party had engaged I-PAC for a brief period ahead of the 2027 Uttar Pradesh Assembly elections but could not continue the arrangement.

"Yes, we had an association. They worked with us for a few months, but we are not able to continue because we do not have that kind of funding," he said.

The I-PAC is a political consultancy firm known for managing major election campaigns across the country.

Election strategist-turned-politician Prashant Kishor has also been associated with the organisation in the past and has worked with multiple parties, including the BJP and the Congress.

In a lighter vein, Yadav took a swipe at the ecosystem of political consultancies. "We thought that if we have to work with a 'winning agency', then there are several big companies." He said that some people suggested conducting surveys, hiring another firm, keeping a social media company, and even engaging agencies for negative campaigning against other parties.

"There are one or two more companies whose names are not yet known. I can get those for you as well," Yadav said.

Yadav rejected the suggestion that the decision to end the deal was influenced by recent election outcomes in states such as West Bengal.

"There is no such thing. Do not ask questions based on baseless reports. That is not true," he said.

"This is not the reason for ending the agreement. We simply do not have enough funds. If you (the media) give us funds, we can hire another company," the former Uttar Pradesh chief minister said. 

AND INDIAN EXPRESS: https://indianexpress.com/article/political-pulse/sp-ipac-deal-up-2027-poll-losses-bengal-tamil-nadu-10674411/