Did Samajwadi Party cut I-PAC ties because of West Bengal shock? Akhilesh Yadav clarifies

The Samajwadi Party on Wednesday officially cut off ties with the Indian Political Action Committee (I-PAC), the political consultancy that has been linked to the Trinamool Congress (TMC) in West Bengal since the party's 2021 win.

However, Yadav dismissed speculations of fear being the reason for the SP cutting off ties with the I-PAC, and said that the move was taken due to a lack of funds.

"We didn’t cancel our contract (with the I-PAC) because of election results. We don’t have funds. The BJP won’t let funds reach us,” he said at a press conference in Lucknow, shifting the blame on the saffron party.

Yet, he took a subtle dig at the consultancy over its loss in West Bengal, explaining that "if we have to work with a ‘winning agency’, then there are several big companies".

For the SP, this marks a significant shift in polling strategy ahead of the 2027 elections in the state—a move from outsourcing political strategy to relying completely on the party's own resources and regional identity.

It was also speculated that the Samajwadi Party had wanted to stay away from the Enforcement Directorate (ED) case involving one of its co-founders, Vinesh Chandel.

Strategist-turned-politician Prashant Kishor was another of the co-founders of the I-PAC.

The high-profile arrest of Chandel by the ED back in April is said to have been a major turning point in the West Bengal elections.

The agency had found a link connecting Chandel to a money laundering case linked to an alleged coal scam in West Bengal. 

Though Chandel was released last week on bail, the SP's move is seen as a precaution ahead of its 2027 battle against the BJP for Uttar Pradesh.

“Insights from Bengal will now be implemented in Uttar Pradesh or maybe something bigger will be done here,” he added at the conference.