Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav addresses a press conference at the party office in Lucknow on May 6, 2026. | Photo credit: ANI
Samajwadi Party President Akhilesh Yadav on Wednesday (May 06, 2026) said his party has cut ties with the Indian Political Action Committee (I-PAC) due to lack of funds.
He dismissed speculation that the contract was terminated because of the recent election results.
Addressing a press conference, Mr. Yadav said the party had hired I-PAC for a short period before the 2027 Uttar Pradesh Assembly elections, but could not continue the arrangement.
“Yes, we had an association. They worked with us for a few months, but we can’t continue because we don’t have that kind of funding,” he said.
I-PAC is a political consulting firm known for managing major election campaigns across the country.
Election strategist-turned-politician Prashant Kishor has also been associated with the organization in the past and has worked with multiple parties, including the BJP and the Congress.
On a lighter note, Mr Yadav ventured into the political consultancy ecosystem. “We thought if we had to work with a ‘winning agency,’ there were a few big companies.”
He said some people suggested doing surveys, hiring another firm, keeping company on social media and even engaging agencies in negative campaigns against other parties. “There are one or two more companies whose names are not yet known. I can get them for you too,” said Mr Yadav.
He rejected the suggestion that the decision to end the deal was influenced by recent election results in states such as West Bengal. “There is no such thing. Do not ask based on unsubstantiated reports. It is not true,” he said.
“This is not a reason to terminate the agreement. We simply do not have enough funds. If you (the media) give us funds, we can hire another company,” said the former Uttar Pradesh chief minister.
Published – May 6, 2026 5:36 PM IST
