Sting keeps political pot boiling

BJP workers blocked roads and a delegation marched to Raj Bhavan demanding a CBI inquiry into the matter

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The Narada News sting operation — showing ministers, members of Parliament (MPs) and members of Legislative Assembly (MLAs) from the ruling Trinamool Congress (TMC) allegedly taking cash for favours — kept the party and the Opposition busy in West Bengal on Tuesday.

While most of the alleged people in the video footage refrained from making comments on the sting, TMC chief and West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee chose to respond to the allegations at a rally in North Bengal's Kurseong, where she has been campaigning for the past few days. "Let the Opposition hatch as many conspiracies as they want. We are not afraid. We work for the people. We do not believe in fear tactics," Banerjee said without mentioning the sting operation.

"We are ready to give a fitting reply to the Opposition politically. People will bowl them out in elections," she said, apparently keeping her faith in the electorate.

Sources close to the development said the ruling party was in a dilemma. The party's parliamentary committee was believed to have met on Tuesday to discuss its strategy to counter the sting. Some of them said the party should have been proactive in investigating the issue. Some felt the party should move court to obtain a stay on airing the footage till its veracity was proved but others were sceptical of the outcome.

The release of the footage came at a time when the ruling party was worried about an alliance between the Left Front and the Congress. The Left Front and Congress, in fact, held joint rallies on Tuesday to raise issues, including the sting operation against the TMC.

Left Front-affiliated students' organisations, including the Students' Federation of India (SFI) and the Democratic Youth Federation of India (DYFI) held protest marches in Kolkata against the TMC.

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) also took to the streets. Party workers blocked roads and a delegation marched to Raj Bhavan demanding a Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) probe into the matter and dismissal of the TMC government.

"We met the Governor and said that the TMC government, whose ministers, MPs and other leaders were seen taking bribes, had no right to govern the state. We demand immediate dismissal of the government. Free and fair elections is not possible with the TMC at the helm of affairs in the state," BJP General Secretary Kailash Vijayvargiya said. Assembly polls in the state would be conducted in April-May, over six phases.

In Parliament, MPs from the BJP, Left Front and Congress demanded an investigation into the matter.

Meanwhile, the full bench of the Election Commission, which was visiting the state to review poll preparedness, said in response to questions that it had received complaints from the Opposition on the sting and appropriate authorities had been informed.

This is the second time that allegations of corruption have surfaced against the TTMC, the first time being when the Saradha chit fund scam came to light. The CBI had questioned many of the Trinamool leaders in connection with the scam. Then transport minister Madan Mitra was forced to resign and is still in custody.

However, the Saradha scam failed to have any impact on the TMC electorally in the 2014 general elections. The next month will tell whether Narada will be any different.