These are the Saradha Chit Fund scandal, the Narada sting operation and corruption on part of the Siliguri Jalpaiguri Development Authority (SJDA).

The involvement of the ruling party the Trinamool Congress (TMC) in all these cases has been established. For obvious reasons, the estimated Rs 20,000 crore Saradha scam attracted the greatest attention, resulting in an inquiry by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI). This followed an order from the Supreme Court (SC). Top TMC leaders including MPs and state ministers were arrested. Some are now in jail, along with lesser functionaries. The TMC government had done its best to prevent a CBI probe to the extent of opposing at the SC a lawsuit filed by opposition leaders and civil rights activists.

The Narada sting operation, conducted by journalist Matthew Samuel, had shown on tape 16 TMC state ministers and MPs taking bribes ranging from Rs 100,000 - 400,000. The negative fallout from this and the Saradha scam had certainly lowered the TMC’s image among educated sections of the electorate, only weeks before the 2016 Assembly polls.

However, following its thumping poll victory in the elections, the TMC has expectedly gone on a counter-offensive against Mr Samuel. The state government has ordered a probe into the matter, but not to ascertain the truth or otherwise of the tapes shown repeatedly prior to the polls. The objective, as outlined by chief minister Mamata Banerjee, is to learn who had bankrolled Mr Samuel and his team and how much money had been spent.

Interestingly, CPI(M) leader and lawyer Mr. Bikash Bhattacharya had already filed a case against the TMC leaders at Kolkata High court, before the state ordered its probe. Mr. Bhattacharya seeks an expert opinion on whether the Narada tapes were genuine or forged. This, according to state opposition leaders, would decide once for all whether the TMC leaders were really guilty of bribe-taking or not.

With the state government and the high court working at cross purposes, chief justice Ms Manjula Chellur made it clear that the court’s verdict would prevail, regardless of so-called probes etc conducted by other authorities. She left no room for doubt that she had the state government inquiry, headed by Mr. Rajiv Kumar, Kolkata Police Commissioner, in mind.

While there is action both at the legal and the administrative levels on the Narada tapes controversy, the investigation into the Saradha scam is not exactly proceeding in lockstep. This, notwithstanding that the financial implications and the socio-economic impact of the chit fund corruption have been more devastating and far-reaching, with thousands of poor investors duped and at least 50 people committing suicide.

Observers agree that since the outcome of the Saradha investigation is under Central control, centre-state relations and related factors come into play. There can be no question that the TMC is on a much stronger wicket than before. The parry has just survived a very strong, prolonged smear campaign by a virtually united opposition. The steps taken by the Central Election Commission prior to the 2016 Bengal polls too put the party under much pressure. Yet the TMC won all hands down, bagging two-thirds of the seats.

This has made even the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) at the centre take more respectful notice of the TMC than before. After the polls, Prime Minister Narendra Modi lost no time in congratulating Ms Banerjee. Other central ministers and leaders followed suit, indicating that they would co-operate with the new TMC government fully.

This is not surprising. The BJP is naturally far more antagonistic to the Congress or the Left parties. But it is different with the TMC, which has been the BJP’s ally in the past.

And Ms Banerjee has reciprocated in full measure to the BJP’s overtures. She congratulated Mr. Modi on the BJP victory in Assam. More importantly, she reiterated the TMC’s intention to provide issue-based support to the BJP at the centre. The TMC’s support to the proposed new GST legislation sponsored by the NDA is only one example, even if parties opposing it have been put off by this.

If these were not enough, a change in Ms Banerjee’s earlier equivocal stance on issues like illegal Bangladeshi infiltration and her indifference to cow smuggling to Bangladesh has made most observers sit up and take notice. During her recent North Bengal visit, she urged upon officials strongly to curb illegal infiltration, and improve law and order in the border areas. They must also ensure that cows were not smuggled into the neighbouring country, she said.

This was sweet music to the BJP’s ears. BJP state leaders had time and again complained to the centre about the TMC’s open help to criminals of a particular community, even if it involved compromising India’s security. They cited the state’s inefficient handling of the Khagragarh explosions and numerous other incidents as examples.

It seems both the TMC and the BJP feel it is time to let bygones be bygones and come closer politically. Analysts add that given the state’s precarious financial condition, with debts to centre well over Rs 250,000 crore, neither the state administration nor the TMC have much manoeuvring room vis-a-vis the centre.

The emerging new backdrop in the centre-state relations will not bring comfort to hardline opposition leaders who have urged upon the centre to probe and punish the TMC leaders involved in the Sarada and Narada scams as early as possible.

In comparison, the Rs 200 crore SJDA corruption involving North Bengal TMC leaders and some top officials has attracted little attention. TMC leaders deny any wrongdoing, as they have done with Sarada and Narada sting affairs. However, IAS officer Godala Krishnakumar was arrested in this connection, accused of corruption in his tenure as the chief executive officer of SJDA. But the officer who ordered his arrest, Mr. K. Jayaraman, the Police Commissioner was hastily transferred. The chief minister also removed the SJDA chairman and replaced him with TMC Minister Mr. Gautam Deb, about two years back.

After polls, Mr. Sourav Chakravarty, TMC youth leader, has been made the new SJDA Chairman, while Mr. Deb has taken over the Tourism portfolio as minister. Mr. Chakravarty’s initial statement to the North Bengal mediapersons on his taking over, have confirmed opposition apprehensions about a cover-up of the scandal. (IPA Service)