"40-lakh for ticket": TMC leader files fraud case against I-PAC chief and Abhishek's PA

A local TMC leader has approached the Krishnanagar District and Sessions Court, filing a formal fraud and cheating case against high-profile individuals linked to the party's central operations. The lawsuit names Sumit Roy, a close aide of TMC All India General Secretary Abhishek Banerjee, alongside Pratik Jain, a top leader of the political consultancy firm I-PAC (Indian Political Action Committee), and an agent named Rinki Mallick.

According to the complainant's legal counsel, Shirshendu Das, the court has officially accepted the petition, and a formal hearing is expected to take place very soon. The case stems from serious allegations surrounding candidate selections for the 2026 assembly elections. The complainant claims to have been swindled out of ₹40 lakh after being promised an official TMC ticket to contest from the Palashipara constituency in Nadia district. However, the party high command ultimately declared Rukbanur Rahman as the official candidate, leaving the local leader cheated and desperate for judicial intervention.

This explosive cash-for-ticket scandal has amplified existing resentment within the party ranks, with grassroots leaders increasingly venting their anger against the centralized leadership. Several insiders have openly questioned the transactional role of I-PAC, alleging that the external advisory organization systematically amassed massive sums of money from aspiring politicians by dangling electoral nominations as bait. The public unravelling of these cash transactions has significantly charged West Bengal's political atmosphere, providing fresh ammunition to opposition blocks.