Former Bihar chief minister Nitish Kumar speaking in Chhapra
The inauguration of a power plant unit in Bihar triggered political controversy today, after the name and photograph of former chief minister Nitish Kumar was missing.
The NTPC power plant was dedicated to the people by Union Power Minister Piyush Goyal in Barh in Patna district in the presence of current Chief Minister Jitan Ram Manjhi. While the photographs and names of Mr Goyal and other central ministers of the BJP-led NDA government were on banners at the venue, there was no reference to Mr Kumar anywhere
The Janata Dal United leader taunted the BJP for trying to take credit for the project.
"Those who took pain for the project has no mention while big size posters of BJP ministers having no contribution is splashing at the venue," Mr Kumar said in his speech as part of his "Sampark Yatra" or mass contact programme at Chhapra.
"Hum to kaam karte hain aur naam ka lobh nahi karte hai (I believe in doing work and do not have greed for name)," he said.
Taking a dig at Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Mr Kumar said, "The foundation stone of the Barh NTPC unit was laid by former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee, hence it would have been proper if it was inaugurated by Mr Modi as a mark of respect to Mr Vajpayee."
In a post on Facebook, Nitish Kumar recounted the efforts he took to get the Barh project sanctioned for the state and then completed without hurdles, first as Lok Sabha MP from Barh and then as Bihar Chief Minister. "Back then, no one believed Bihar could have a power plant."
Other JD(U) leaders used the opportunity to slam the BJP. "This reflects the low level politics of BJP," Bihar Urban Development Minister Samrat Chaudhary said.
But state BJP president Mangal Pandey brushed aside the criticism by JD(U).
"The foundation of the NTPC's Barh unit was laid by Vajpayeeji and the project was completed in the tenure of present PM Narendra Modi," he said.
For years, Bihar has faced an electricity crisis. Two years ago, Mr Kumar, then the Chief Minister, said at a function that he wouldn't seek votes in the next assembly elections if the power situation did not improve. Things have become better since, and now in the lead up to the assembly polls, there is likely to be a jostling for credit between the ruling Janta Dal United in Bihar and their former allies the BJP.