Who bought Mamata's paintings for Rs 6,46,90,000?

Amidst the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) probe into the multi-crore chit fund scam, raising controversies over the alleged involvement of Trinamool Congress leaders in it, the affidavits submitted by TMC to the Election Commission of India (ECI) show that in two financial years (2011-12 and 2012-13) the party had earned Rs 6,46,90,000 through sale of paintings and interestingly not a single rupee has been earned from 2013-14 till 2017-18.

Again in 2010-11, too, when the party had not ascended to power, there had not been any income through the sale of paintings.

DNA has access to the TMC affidavits which show that in 2011-12, the year when the TMC was voted to power for the first term, income from sale of paintings had been had been Rs 3,93,90,000 and in 2012-13 under the same head it had been Rs 2,53,00,000.

It had been alleged that the buyers of the paintings were mostly heads of several Ponzi firms who were either behind bars or absconding after 2012 and thus the sale of paintings had stopped.

While none of the TMC leaders wanted to comment on the issue, leaders of the Opposition once again alleged a connection between TMC leaders and chit fund company bosses. CPI(M) MP Md Salim said that it was a reverse trend that was being witnessed.

"Normally it is seen that painters' sale of paintings is a regular affair and with time their demand and price rise. In this case what we have observed that after TMC ascended to power she suddenly became a reputed painter and after chit fund company bosses were either sent to jail or are absconding, her paintings are no longer in demand, which is highly unlikely. She had earlier said that her party did not raise funds through public donations. She said that all her party funds were raised through paintings. Now that her paintings were not selling but party expenses have risen manifolds, has her party resorted to patronising syndicate raj and extortion rackets?" Salim said talking to DNA.

He also questioned the role of the Centre saying that during elections investigating agencies get active suddenly and abruptly the process stopped every time.

State Congress president Somen Mitra said Mamata was perhaps more popular than Leonardo da Vinci. "We will have to find out how much Leonardo da Vinci's paintings fetched in one year. There are some renowned painters in TMC. It would be interesting to find out how much their paintings sold for, in a year. Now that all the chit fund companies have shut down with their owners behind bars, it should be found out whether the paintings are in their drawing rooms or in the garages," Mitra told DNA.

Similar was the view of BJP national secretary and former party state president Rahul Sinha. He said that it proved that only Ponzi firm owners bought her paintings. "The ECI should initiate a probe into the TMC on that ground," he said.

Again, the sale of the party's annual magazine too had jumped manifolds. In the statements submitted with covering letters signed by the then party number two Mukul Roy, it was noticed that income from sale of yearly party magazine rose from Rs 3,79,280 in 2010-11 to Rs 12,64,319 in 2011-12, Rs 10,70,230 in 2012-13 and shot up to Rs 19,29,150 in 2013-14.