Mamata Banerjee has been campaigning for her party's legislators across the state.
Almost a month after pictures of top leaders grabbing bundles of cash allegedly as bribes hit headlines, the Trinamool Congress initiated a probe into the sting operation by Narada, a web-based news portal.
"We will start a probe to find out what happened and take action if anyone is found guilty," secretary general of Trinamool, Partha Chatterjee said, adding, "We will also probe the role of Ahmed Patel, Siddharth Nath Singh and Sitaram Yechuri in the whole operation." All three are top leaders of the Congress, BJP and CPM.
Eleven lawmakers of the Trinamool and a police officer purportedly close to some Trinamool leaders were seen allegedly taking allegedly taking money offered by journalist Samuel Mathew posing to be a businessman.
But the move has invited Opposition derision. "Thieves will investigate a theft?" questioned CPM leader Surya Kanta Mishra. "How is that possible?" BJP's Jaiprakash Majumdar said, "Why internal probe? Why not a CBI probe?"
Since the sting emerged, Trinamool dismissed it as a fraud. Then at a recent Election rally, Mamata Banerjee blamed the bribe-giver and questioned the BJP about its funds.
"If there have been mistakes, they are all mine," she said. Earlier she had urged people to vote, not so much for individual candidates. "I am your candidate in all 294 seats," she said.
The Opposition claims the Trinamool had earlier thought it could brazen out the sting operation. But it is now realising it is impacting voters. And so it has ordered this "internal probe."