NEW DELHI: The friction between the Trinamool Congress and
Prashant Kishor's I-Pac seems to have intensified, with a minister in the Mamata Banerjee government alleging that the firm has used her social media account without her knowledge.
"A Twitter account in my name was created by I-Pac before the election. Today it posted something about 'one person one post' without my knowledge. I strongly protest against it," Chandrima Bhattacharya, Bengal MoS- urban development told reporters in Kolkata.
"I-Pac handles my social media account. I have no knowledge of such posts. I have informed the party," she added.
I-Pac was roped in by Trinamool after the party's setback in West Bengal in the 2019 Lok Sabha polls. TMC went to the 2021 Bengal assembly elections under I-Pac's tutelage and pulled off a stellar performance, winning 211 of the 294 seats. The BJP campaigned hard but had to be content with just 77.
I-Pac responded to Bhattacharya's allegations saying it does not "handle any digital properties" of either the Trinamool Congress or any of its leaders.
"Anyone making such claim is either uninformed or is blatantly lying," the firm said in a terse tweet. It further said that the party should look into if and how its "digital properties and/or that of their leaders are being allegedly (mis)used.”
The latest developments come on the back of strong rumours of a fallout between the Mamata Banerjee-led party and Kishor's firm, although both had dismissed similar reports that emerged in December last year.
There are also reports of discontent brewing within the TMC over I-Pac's alleged interference in the functioning of the party. Some leaders are said to have complained about being cold-shouldered by I-Pac officials, who would only communicate with Mamata Banerjee or her nephew Abhishek.
The firm's involvement in ticket distribution for the upcoming civic polls too has been a bone of contention. By some reports, separate lists with names of candidates had surfaced- one signed by two senior party functionaries, and the other peddled by I-Pac.
Mamata is said to be taking a hard stand to limit the firm's involvement in the party's functioning. By some reports, there is also a power struggle playing out within the party with I-Pac having nephew Abhishek's backing, and majority of the old guard rallying behind Mamata.
(With inputs from agencies)