Mamata Banerjee Hits Out at Centre After ED Raids I-PAC Office, Alleges ‘Political Vendetta’

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West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee recently issued a fierce challenge to the Union Government. This happened after Enforcement Directorate (ED) agents raided the I-PAC office and the home of its director, Pratik Jain. The agency is looking into a money-laundering case involving an alleged coal scam.

Banerjee quickly arrived at the scene to confront the federal officers in person. She called the raids a ‘political vendetta’ meant to hurt the Trinamool Congress (TMC). She dared the BJP to fight her party through votes rather than using central agencies to seize sensitive election strategies and candidate data.

High Drama in Kolkata as CM Reclaims Confiscated Documents

The situation turned into a major standoff when Mamata Banerjee showed up at Pratik Jain’s home. Federal agents were still inside conducting their search. This event reminded many people of her 2019 clash with the CBI. The Chief Minister was seen leaving the building holding a green folder. She told reporters she had taken back party documents and hard drives that the ED tried to seize. State officials said these files contained private details about candidate choices and polling plans for the 2026 elections.

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The ED gave a very different version of the story. The agency said their search was going smoothly until the Chief Minister arrived with many police officers. Now, the agency has asked the Calcutta High Court to step in. They claim Banerjee blocked a legal investigation and took away important evidence. This evidence was supposedly linked to illegal money transfers. This legal fight shows that the tension between the state and the central government is reaching a breaking point.

How Will the I-PAC Raid Impact the TMC’s 2026 Campaign Strategy?

I-PAC is the brain behind the party’s digital and media work. If the ED keeps the seized hard drives, they will have the party’s ‘playbook.’ This includes voter maps and special research data. Without this data, the TMC's big outreach programs could come to a full stop.

The party now faces two big problems. First, they might lose their secret campaign plans to federal investigators. Second, the raid might expose the party’s internal money dealings. Local businesses that help with these campaigns are also worried about getting paid. If the court sides with the ED, the TMC might have to rebuild its entire digital system from the ground up. Doing this during an election year would be very difficult and expensive.

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The raid on I-PAC has turned into a fight over who owns election data. This case is moving to the Calcutta High Court very soon. In the future, we will likely see stricter rules for political consultants. The court will have to decide if campaign strategy documents can be seized during money-laundering probes.