I-PAC left twiddling thumbs in Telangana as KCR focuses on national plans

The relationship between Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS) and the Indian Political Action Committee, a political consulting firm popularly known as I-PAC, hired by it to enhance the party’s electoral prospects is in the doldrums. A key reason for this is Chief Minister K Chandrasekhara Rao’s decision to enter national politics by floating a new party, say insiders. With KCR being busy scripting the new party’s national strategy, I-PAC feels that the work done by them in the state ahead of Assembly polls is not receiving attention. 

According to multiple sources in I-PAC, nearly 200 employees of the company have recently been shifted to Andhra Pradesh from Hyderabad to help Jagan Mohan Reddy’s Yuvajana Sramika Rythu Congress Party (YSRCP). TNM has learnt from sources that the decision was taken as more work was being carried out in Andhra in comparison to Telangana. Only around 100 employees have been retained in Hyderabad for I-PAC’s work in Telangana.

Sources said the Andhra government has been proactively working with I-PAC and all surveys and inputs provided by the consulting firm are considered and worked upon seriously. Presently, the I-PAC team in Andhra is helping with the setting up of a media communication centre in Vijayawada. 

It was on April 24, 2022, that the TRS Working President KT Rama Rao confirmed that the party had signed a deal with I-PAC founded by political strategist Prashant Kishor. I-PAC was hired to help the TRS make a streamlined effort to win in the Assembly elections for the third consecutive time in Telangana. However, with KCR deciding to take the BJP head-on by forming a national party, I-PAC’s efforts in the state are presently being overlooked.

According to party sources, KCR wants to use I-PAC to realise his national plans in the future. However, if this is KCR’s plan, then TRS may have to rework the deal with I-PAC as they were hired for bolstering the party’s electoral prospects in Telangana and not for their ambitious national plan. Sources told TNM that the present team in I-PAC wouldn’t be sufficient to plan a national strategy. A national plan would mean more resources, several team leaders across states and well-planned strategies. This would also mean a rework in the deal between the two and for this both the leadership would have to meet again to rework the requirements and escalated costs. 

In the months that followed the signing of the deal between TRS and I-PAC, the political strategy company set up a team in Hyderabad and began its surveys and field visits to gauge the pulse of the people. Several employees were brought in to Hyderabad by I-PAC after election campaigns concluded in other poll-bound states. Several hires were also made to expand the Telangana team strength to 300.

According to I-PAC insiders, a team of 300 was good enough to handle the TRS party’s political efforts at the moment. Speaking to TNM, a source at I-PAC said, “Nearly 200 people were hired and made a part of I-PAC’s field teams in Telangana while another 100 were made part of the functional teams that work out of the head office. Altogether, the team was set up and work began immediately”.

Once the recruitment process was completed, I-PAC’s field teams began visiting constituencies to gauge the mood of the people. They also did a Munugode survey ahead of the looming bye-poll in the constituency. However, according to TRS sources, the party did not use the results of the survey and did not act on the inputs and suggestions shared. This is because the party’s leadership has been busy with the national plans. However, TRS maintains that I-PAC’s top leadership is in touch with KCR and that substantial work is being done in the state by I-PAC.

TNM reached out to I-PAC for an official response on its strained relations with TRS and the reduction in team strength in Telangana. “There is absolutely no change in the engagement with TRS,” said a terse response from I-PAC.

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