Now Nitish invokes Ram,unveils 8216;biggest temple8217;

The comparison between Modis statue and Nitishs temple projects is likely to gain significance in the days ahead. Nitish,who raised the secularism pitch soon after Modis Patna rally,has already announced a Sankalp rally in 12 places between December 7 and February 16. The BJP has tried to counter this by fixing up public meetings for Modi in Gaya,Bhagalpur and Muzaffarpur around the same time.

While unveiling the design of the temple,Nitish promised to extend all help to construct the temple,which would be 405 feet high and accommodate over 20,000 people. When trust chairman Kishore Kunal discussed the temple project and said he wanted the same name for it as the temple of Angkor Wat,we found there could be some legal hassles. Kunalji later came up with name Viraat Ramayan Mandir,which sounded beautiful, he said.

Though the CM refrained from making any political statement,the timing of the unveiling would keep the poll pot boiling. A senior JDU leader said: A Ram versus Sardar battle may not have been planned,but the two projects have great statistical value to engage the public.