Who is Pratik Jain: The Strategist Behind TMC’s Campaigns Now Under ED Radar

Enforcement Directorate officers have targeted political consultant Pratik Jain and the Indian Political Action Committee in an alleged money laundering case, triggering a strong political clash in West Bengal. Dramatic scenes played out at the I-PAC office in Kolkata as Mamata Banerjee arrived, confronted officials, collected documents and accused the Bharatiya Janata Party government of using investigative agencies for political pressure.

The West Bengal Chief Minister alleged that central officers were trying to gain access to internal Trinamool Congress information, including digital records. Mamata Banerjee lashed out at the ruling party in Delhi, calling BJP leaders the "biggest dacoits" and accusing the Centre of attempting to capture both political and financial data belonging to Trinamool Congress through these raids.

ED raids and political reaction: ED raids trigger clash

According to officials quoted by news agency PTI, teams from the Enforcement Directorate reached the I-PAC office in Salt Lake and Pratik Jain’s home on Loudon Street at around 7 am. Central paramilitary personnel accompanied the officers. Searches were carried out at eight more premises linked to the probe, extending the operation across multiple locations in Kolkata.

The Enforcement Directorate later approached the Calcutta High Court, alleging that its officers had faced unlawful interference while conducting the ED raids. The agency claimed that its searches at I-PAC and connected sites were obstructed, and that attempts were made to disrupt the investigation. The petition has been listed before Justice Suvra Ghosh, with a hearing expected on Friday.

Scope of ED raids and I-PAC role: ED raids widen

I-PAC works closely with the ruling Trinamool Congress in West Bengal, handling political strategy, communication planning and social media campaigns for the party. Mamata Banerjee alleged that Enforcement Directorate officers tried to take away confidential party papers and computer hard drives during the ED raids, including what she described as sensitive Trinamool Congress organisational data.

Pratik Jain is an engineer by training who shifted to political consultancy after a short corporate career. Jain studied metallurgical engineering and materials science at the Indian Institute of Technology Bombay and interned with Axis Mutual Fund during the course. After graduating, Jain joined Deloitte as an analyst in 2012, gaining experience in the private sector before entering politics-related work.

Pratik Jain background and I-PAC network: ED raids context

In 2015, Jain co founded I-PAC with Vinesh Chandel and Rishi Raj Singh, building a structured consultancy for election campaigns. Before that, Jain had been a founding member of Citizens for Accountable Governance. The organisation’s LinkedIn description calls it a not for profit initiative focused on strengthening accountable governance in India, which later developed into the present I-PAC structure.

Mamata Banerjee has publicly stated that Pratik Jain leads the Trinamool Congress information technology cell, linking Jain directly to the party’s digital communication network. I-PAC describes itself as a platform that allows students and young professionals to work with politics and governance in a serious way, without needing to hold formal membership of any political party.

The Enforcement Directorate’s money laundering investigation around Pratik Jain and I-PAC has now entered the courts and intensified the confrontation between the Centre and West Bengal’s ruling party. With allegations of interference, claims of data seizure and a formal plea before the Calcutta High Court, the outcome of the ED raids and related proceedings remains central to the state’s volatile political climate.