BJP MP Shatrughan Sinha addresses a news meet in Patna on Tuesday. (PTI)

Shatrughan Sinha, who has been quite candid about his anti-Narendra Modi sentiments, on Tuesday said Nitish Kumar was “PM material” and asked his party to not make harsh comments against the chief minister.

“There is no question about it. Nitish is PM material. He is one of the few successful chief ministers in the country. But the post of PM is only decided on the basis of the numbers after the election,” said the BJP MP from Patna Sahib, after arriving at Patna from New Delhi.

Ever since the NDA alliance broke up in the state, the BJP has adopted a belligerent attitude towards their former ally. But even as the Narendra Modi fever has swept through his party like a pandemic, Sinha had not minced words about his support for estranged patriarch L.K. Advani. He had also not abstained from meeting his “friend” Nitish during a visit to the city last week.

Sinha is, however, walking on thin ice. The BJP could serve a notice on him, demanding an explanation for why he was issuing statements incessantly that were construed as “anti-party”.

Sources said remarks such as these gave an impression that the BJP was still not “united” behind Modi, anointed to spearhead its 2014 election campaign, and gave a “negative” message to the rank and file.

“Sinha’s statements give credence to a general belief in the BJP that it was Advani who prodded Nitish to call off his alliance with us and mess up things for us. We were going great guns in Bihar; our graph was rising. But anti-Modi comments from those like Sinha are damaging us. May be that’s what Advani desires,” a Bihar BJP source said.

BJP state president Mangal Pandey said he was disappointed with Sinha’s statements. “We do not support what he said about Nitish Kumar.”

Asked if Sinha could face the heat for his comments, he said: “It is up to the central leaders to take a decision.”

The Bihar BJP is reportedly pressuring the central leaders to “act fast” against Sinha and throw him out of the party. The top brass, however, is disinclined to do anything “precipitate” against the MP, fearing that it might set off repercussions within the state unit although Sinha has no independent following among the MLAs.

Inclement reactions, however, have not deterred Sinha’s candidness about his bonhomie with the friend-turned-foe of his party. He said: “Nitish is a very good person. We were together a few days back and we can be together tomorrow.”

Sinha is also not happy with his party branding Nitish’s decision of breaking up with the BJP as “betrayal”. “It is a very harsh term. Nitish is the head of a state. I respect him like my elder brother. He loves me like a younger brother. I don’t want to sacrifice my personal relation with him for political purposes,” he said.

Sinha, one of the popular actors of yore, felt people should not forget the human touch. He added: “I may have burnt bridges in my reel life but never in real life. I have always believed in building bridges, never in burning them”

His warm eloquence was received equally warmly by its subject, Nitish. “He (Sinha) is a senior member of the party, I thank him for the comment. I don’t think people should have any problem with it,” said the chief minister, while coming out of the Assembly.