Mamata Banerjee is facing the heat over Saradha scam this election season

Kolkata: The multi-crore rupee Saradha chit fund, which robbed lakhs of people in West Bengal of their savings, has suddenly become the top election issue in the state. (India Votes 2014: Coverage)

This, after the Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Wednesday arrested Piyali, the second wife of Saradha boss Sudipta Sen, and Shubhojit, his son by his first wife. (Saradha scam: Enforcement Directorate arrests Sudipta Sen's wife, son)

Their interrogation, sources say, may lead ED to question some Trinamool leaders.
Even Congress Vice President Rahul Gandhi slammed the Mamata Banerjee-led Trinamool Congress government on the issue while addressing election rallies in the state on Saturday. (Saradha scam: Trinamool MP arrested after he took Mamata Banerjee's name, says CPI-M) 

"It's a scam of Rs 18,000 crore. It was your money, the money of poor people. Today Mamataji's government is not taking action against the culprits. They are trying to save the culprits. There should be a CBI probe but the government is not allowing it," Gandhi said in Malda and then again at Behrampore where he was campaigning for Congress candidates.  
Ms Banerjee has been forced to address the issue at her rally in Birbhum on Friday.

"They are saying TMC is taking money from someone. You have to prove it or apologise.  We are also taking legal recourse. We will not spare anybody. We don't take money from anyone to do politics. We share within the party. We don't take money from others. The CPI-M had to take money from chit funds. We did not have to. It all happened in 30 years of the Left Front's rule," Ms Banerjee said at a meeting in Siuri on Friday. (Mamata Banerjee attacks Rahul Gandhi)

The Left Front is, meanwhile, hitting back where, many believe, it is bound to hurt the Trinamool.

"If Left Front leaders and ministers took money from chit funds, then why is Mamata Banerjee so opposed to a CBI probe," asked Biman Bose, chairman of the Left Front in West Bengal. (Only Left Front can stop BJP from coming to power: Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee)

On Friday, former chief minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee also took a pot shot at Ms Banerjee on the issue.

"People linked with Saradha are getting arrested. Now, the one who claimed to be an icon of honesty (Mamata) has become a Saradha icon," he said.

Next week could be crucial. The ED has to submit a report by April 23 to the Supreme Court which, on that day, will hear the Saradha case where a petitioner has sought a CBI probe into the scam.