The Trinamool Congress (TMC) faced a humiliating defeat in the 2026 West Bengal Assembly elections, losing to the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). In the aftermath, several party leaders, including Kalyan Banerjee (Lok Sabha chief whip), have pointed fingers at the political consultancy firm I-PAC, claiming that the party's over-reliance on the firm led to its downfall. Banerjee stated that I-PAC 'completely destroyed' the TMC organization, and former spokesperson Riju Dutta echoed these sentiments, asserting that the leadership should take responsibility for the loss. I-PAC had previously assisted TMC in winning the 2021 Assembly elections and the 2024 general elections, but allegations have surfaced regarding its role in candidate selection and internal corruption. Despite the blame directed at I-PAC, political observers note that the defeat can also be attributed to anti-incumbency sentiments, the polarization of Hindu votes, and the division of Muslim votes. The party's leadership, while acknowledging the challenges, seems hesitant to directly criticize Mamata Banerjee and Abhishek Banerjee, opting instead to scapegoat I-PAC for the electoral failure.