  The $\gamma$-ray bright blazar CTA 102 is studied using imaging (new 15 GHz
and archival 43 GHz Very Long Baseline Array, VLBA data) and time variable
optical flux density, polarization degree and electric vector position angle
(EVPA) spanning between 2015 June 1 and 2016 October 1, covering a prominent
$\gamma$-ray flare during 2016 January. The pc-scale jet indicates expansion
with oscillatory features upto 17 mas. Component proper motions are in the
range 0.04 - 0.33 mas/yr with acceleration upto 1.2 mas followed by a slowing
down beyond 1.5 mas. A jet bulk Lorentz factor $\geq$ 17.5, position angle of
128.3 degrees, inclination angle $\leq$ 6.6 degrees and intrinsic half opening
angle $\leq$ 1.8 degrees are derived from the VLBA data. These inferences are
employed in a helical jet model to infer long term variability in flux density,
polarization degree, EVPA and a rotation of the Stokes Q and U parameters. A
core distance of $r_{\rm core,43 \ GHz}$ = 22.9 pc, and a magnetic field
strength at 1 pc and the core location of 1.57 G and 0.07 G respectively are
inferred using the core shift method. The study is useful in the context of
estimating jet parameters and in offering clues to distinguish mechanisms
responsible for variability over different timescales.
