CHRONICLES OF NARADA

Though it put a brave face on its rejection by the people, the BJP is unlikely to forget its electoral humiliation in West Bengal in a hurry. The saffron camp first escalated the post-poll violence into an issue meriting President’s rule. But when it realised the move reeked of political vendetta, the party pulled out another old weapon in its arsenal—the Narada scam.

It began with West Bengal governor Jagdeep Dhankhar acceding to the CBI’s (Central Bureau of Investigation) request to prosecute four Trinamool Congress (TMC) leaders on May 7. Strangely, the CBI had made the request sometime in January this year. The governor chose to respond to it three days before Mamata’s cabinet, which included two of the accused ministers, was to be sworn in.

Ten days later, on May 17, in an early morning swoop, the CBI picked up the four TMC leaders—the current panchayat minister Subrata Mukherjee, transport & housing minister Firhad Hakim, Madan Mitra and ex-Kolkata mayor Sovan Chatterjee—all of whom were part