I-PAC director arrested by ED in Bengal coal scam case: Who is Vinesh Chandel?

A young professional with middle-class roots who chose political advocacy over a career as a lawyer, Vinesh Chandel is widely considered a “cool and patient” pair of hands at the steering wheel of the Indian Political Action Committee, or I-PAC. On Monday, the Enforcement Directorate (ED) arrested the I-PAC director in connection with the alleged West Bengal coal scam, kicking off a political storm as the political consultancy firm is advising the Trinamool Congress (TMC) and the arrest comes a week before West Bengal goes to the polls. Chandel, whose associates say he brings an analytical edge to problem-solving and approachability to the organisation, is among the three directors of the consultancy firm founded by Prashant Kishor. The other two directors are Rishi Raj Singh and Pratik Jain, both of whose homes were searched by the agency in January. “I have worked with I-PAC for two years, but this is the first time I am meeting a director face-to-face,” a field associate had told Chandel during the latter’s visit to a constituency in Andhra Pradesh in the run-up to the simultaneous 2024 Lok Sabha and Assembly elections. Sources close to Chandel describe him as “calm” and “open-minded”. A National Law Institute University of Bhopal alumnus, Chandel is said to be “the most approachable” of the three I-PAC directors and steered it through the transition after Kishor’s exit in 2021. “He is someone who is said to follow through on everything from assigning and monitoring tasks to handholding colleagues through emergent problems. He sees all the reports himself and even if he disagrees with any point, he expresses it calmly,” said a source. In addition to Trinamool Congress (TMC) chief Mamata Banerjee’s 2021 Assembly election campaign, Kishor and Chandel previously worked on Nitish Kumar’s 2015 campaign for Bihar and the Congress’s Uttar Pradesh campaign in 2017, among others. Chandel was the prime mover behind I-PAC bagging the Samajwadi Party (SP) project for the Uttar Pradesh Assembly elections next year. “Apart from being the face, he is also the brain behind I-PAC. Chandel is the one who makes the initial pitches to political parties. Once that meeting is held, he sits down with the other two directors and finalises the deal,” said another close aide. “While the other directors are rigid about their opinions, Chandel is keen to execute his colleagues’ plans as well. He is firm but always has a window open to take in suggestions,” a former I-PAC employee said, adding that Chandel maintains a firm grip on the situation on the ground. Due to this quality, I-PAC parachutes him into every campaign two months before the elections. “He extensively tours the state and proactively takes suggestions to plan the last leg of the campaign. Time has never deterred him,” said another associate. Chandel’s roots are in Madhya Pradesh, having grown up near Chhindwara. His father Virendra Singh Chandel participated in the anti-Emergency protests and was given a commendation card for his “bravery” by then Madhya Pradesh CM Shivraj Singh Chouhan. Chandel himself is known to share a good rapport with both Chouhan and Congress leader Kamal Nath. “He has had a political bent right from the start and of the three directors, he is most likely to contest elections in the future,” said a former close associate. Chandel is married to Vasudha Singh, whom he met in I-PAC. Vasudha now runs a political consultancy called VoterBridge India. While I-PAC has not issued a statement yet on Chandel’s arrest, the counsel appearing on his behalf during late-night proceedings claimed he had cooperated with the investigating agency. The ED, however, alleged that the I-PAC director had been non-cooperative. It has accused him of money laundering, alleging he had played a role in the “active possession, concealment, and control of proceeds of crime”. In the end, the court granted the ED a 10-day remand. Following a similar raid at Jain’s residence in January, I-PAC, in a statement, emphasised that it had worked “in a professional advisory capacity with multiple political parties across ideologies and regions”, listing most of the national and regional parties. “We do not contest elections or hold political office. Our role is limited to transparent and professional political consulting, uninfluenced by differences in political ideology…we have extended full cooperation and will continue to do so as required, engaging with the process in complete accordance and respect for the law,” it said at the time. Jatin Anand is an Assistant Editor with the national political bureau of The Indian Express. With ov... Read More Mahender Singh Manral is an Assistant Editor with the national bureau of The Indian Express. He is k... Read More