Patna: The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has expressed displeasure over Lok Janshakti Party (Ram Vilas) chief Chirag Paswan’s recent comments targeting Bihar Chief Minister and Janata Dal (United) leader Nitish Kumar, media reports said.

A meeting behind closed doors between BJP leaders and Chirag is expected soon to discuss the issue and smooth over strains within the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) in Bihar.

India Today reported, citing sources, that BJP leaders feel Chirag’s criticism, especially regarding Bihar’s law-and-order situation, is “not in good taste” and risks undermining the NDA’s unity ahead of the state assembly polls.

They worry that such public attacks could weaken the alliance’s collective positioning against the opposition Mahagathbandhan.

Reaffirming Nitish Kumar as the NDA’s chief ministerial candidate in Bihar, the BJP leadership has stressed that the elections will be contested under his leadership.

“We cannot afford to send mixed signals to voters,” a senior BJP leader said, noting that Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s recent rallies had underscored the image of a united NDA, according to the report.

The BJP is also cautious about Chirag’s recent hints of contesting the assembly polls, which some see as a sign of possible internal rivalry.

Even so, sources played down the chances of a deep rift, suggesting Chirag’s remarks were likely aimed at energising his party workers and consolidating his political ground.