The order came following complaints lodged by opposition parties that the photographs were targeted at luring voters ahead of assembly elections next year.

The Election Commission has also directed that the distribution of such ration cards be stopped.

The state government had distributed notebooks with photographs of Munda and Health Minister Dinesh Saragi, saying it would help create awareness among students about leprosy.

And the food and civil supplies department printed four million ration cards in three categories - red, green and yellow - depending on the economic condition of a family. The distribution of new ration cards was planned after 20 years.

"We are determined to make the state free of corruption, fear and hunger," says the slogan, which is in Hindi.

But opposition parties pointed out that ration cards were often used by voters as identity cards in the absence of Photo Identity Cards issued by the Election Commission.

"The Election Commission has expressed unhappiness over the state government's move to distribute ration cards and notebooks," said A.K. Pandey, chief electoral officer of the state.

Officials are tight-lipped over the development and are waiting for guidelines from the state government on how to react to the Election Commission's order.

Munda, however, justifies the move to have his photograph on ration cards: "I do not see anything wrong in it. Just because my face is black, the photographs should be removed?"

The ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is planning to make it an election issue, party sources said.

-Indo-Asian News Service