Nitish Kumar addresses JDU supporters in Muzaffarpur on Sunday. Picture by Lokesh Bihari

Former chief minister Nitish Kumar on Sunday made a fervent appeal to his party men and supporters to pitch in vociferously to counter the alleged false claims and hollow promises of the BJP.

Nitish harped on countering the challenges from the BJP to outsmart its political foes during his 35-minute speech to party workers here — a part of his Sampark Yatra. He also reminded the electorate of Kanti that he had promised them during the electioneering for the 2005 Assembly polls to revive the Muzaffarpur Thermal Power Station (MTPS), the second unit (110MW) of which was inaugurated on Saturday by Union minister of state for energy and coal (independent charge) Piyush Goyal.

Nitish had said then that smoke would emit from the redundant chimneys of MTPS, proposed to be rechristened as George Fernandes Thermal Power Station (GFTPS). Its first unit started functioning last November.

The former chief minister opined that the inauguration-cum-commercial production ceremony of the second unit of GFTPS was hijacked by the “cut piece ministers” (read junior ministers) of the state in the NDA government at the Centre. Yet, he pledged to improve the overall power scenario in the state.

He asserted that the state government was burning midnight oil to facilitate round-the-clock power supply and improved distribution system. “It is the habit of the BJP ministers to take credit of good work of others by hijacking the event. Barh power plant is my brainchild and I faced great difficulties in bringing the project there. But unfortunately, the BJP ministers jumped there to take credit for it,” said Nitish.

Asking the JDU workers at the grassroots to stay away from the propaganda of the BJP, Nitish said he would be touring all the districts of the state to enthuse the party men and urge them to remain steel in their principles as envisaged by the party. He expressed hope that the party would emerge with new look and impression after the completion of his Sampark Yatra.

Coming down heavily on the BJP and Narendra Modi, Nitish said the Prime Minister was in a carefree mood and his ministers were castling in the air. He flayed the Centre for hatching conspiracy to block the pace of development by cutting down the financial assistance to the Centre-sponsored schemes.

Nitish appealed to the people to maintain peace and communal amity, alleging that a section of BJP workers was trying to disturb the social fabric for political gains.

Nitish embarked on Sampark Yatra on November 13. He would tour all the Assembly constituencies next year to invigorate the party men to hand the BJP a humiliating defeat, said a source in the party.