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The Samajwadi Party has ended its contract with election management firm Indian Political Action Committee (I-PAC), with party president Akhilesh Yadav saying the party can no longer afford the consultancy’s services ahead of next year’s Uttar Pradesh Assembly elections.

“They were working for us for some time, but now we don’t have funds,” Yadav said at a press conference in Lucknow on Wednesday.

“We didn’t cancel our contract because of election results. We don’t have funds. The BJP won’t let funds reach us,” he added.

‘Worked With Us For A Few Months’

Yadav said the Samajwadi Party’s association with I-PAC was brief.

“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.

Taking a swipe at the election consultancy ecosystem, he added, “We thought that if we have to work with a ‘winning agency’, then there are several big companies.”

What Is I-PAC?

Founded by political strategist-turned-politician Prashant Kishor, I-PAC is known for managing several high-profile election campaigns across India.

Its co-founder Vinesh Chandel was arrested by the Enforcement Directorate in April in connection with a money laundering case linked to an alleged coal scam in West Bengal.

The federal agency alleged that a ‘hawala’ operation routed crores into I-PAC’s parent company to “convert black money into white.”

Chandel was released on bail last week.

Akhilesh Attacks BJP, Election Commission

Akhilesh Yadav also launched a fresh attack on the BJP and the Election Commission, alleging electoral manipulation in Uttar Pradesh.

He claimed the 2024 bypolls in the state reflected a “multi-layered election mafia model” and alleged that SP voters, especially from Muslim and Yadav communities, were systematically disenfranchised.

“In 2022, around 18,000 votes were either deleted or shifted,” Yadav claimed.

“What 'Didi' [Mamata Banerjee] has faced, we experienced in 2022,” he said.

Alleges Polling Agents Were Removed

Yadav alleged that SP polling and counting agents were forcibly removed during the 2022 elections.

“SP polling agents were removed forcibly and results were changed. Central forces had removed SP counting agents forcibly. The Election Commission kept sleeping on all objections given by our party. Media houses are also hand in glove with the BJP and multi-layered election mafia,” he said.

Mentions West Bengal Voter Deletions

Referring to the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) ahead of the West Bengal elections, Yadav said 90 lakh voters were deleted from the rolls in the state.

“We all know how BJP is managing elections and manipulating it,” he said.

‘Lessons From Bengal Will Be Implemented’

Yadav said the Samajwadi Party would adapt its strategy based on developments in West Bengal.

“The learning from Bengal will now be implemented in Uttar Pradesh or maybe something bigger will be done here,” he said.

He also questioned why vote counting cannot be publicly broadcast.

“When court proceedings can be telecasted live, why can’t counting be streamed live?” he asked.

Yadav urged the Supreme Court to take cognisance of the issue and demanded that CCTV footage of vote counting in West Bengal be made public.

INDIA Alliance Commitment Reiterated

Akhilesh Yadav said the Samajwadi Party would continue to function as a partner in the INDIA alliance.

“In 2027, PDA (Pichhda, Dalit, Alpsankhyak) is going to register a historic win,” he said.