Amid perception of growing rift between BJP and JD(U), Bihar chief minister Nitish Kumar Tuesday asked his party spokesperson not to do “anything which will increase differences” within NDA.

The JD(U) leader said that his party chief Sharad Yadav and BJP president Nitin Gadkari have spoken on the issue and that the spokespersons of the two allies have been told they should speak on the basis of gravity of the issues in discussion.

However, reiterating his stand, Kumar said, “I have already expressed my views on certain issues and that opinion very much stands.”

Kumar had earlier asked the BJP to name its prime ministerial candidate saying he should be a secular personality. The JD(U) poster boy’s statement was taken as his opposition to Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi as a possible prime ministerial candidate despite his communal track record.

His statement had led to a series of war of words between the two parties. However, the BJP-JD(U) leadership intervened to save the alliance, which was already strained over the presidential election nomination.