Patna:
Since Nitish Kumar ended a 17-year partnership with the BJP in June, the two sides have traded invective on a daily basis.
But today, BJP leader Shatrughan Sinha said that the Bihar Chief Minister has real potential.
"Nitish Kumar is well qualified for the PM post," Mr Sinha said. "You don't need to have any doctorate for it. He has successfully governed Bihar."
After being complimented, the chief minister described Mr Sinha, 67, as his older brother.
Last week, after Mr Sinha called on him in Patna, the chief minister said the meeting excluded politics and included talk of his fractured toe.
Mr Sinha and Mr Kumar share common ground in their apparent aversion to Gujarat Chief Minister
Narendra Modi, widely expected to land the BJP's prime ministerial nomination.
The reason cited frequently by Mr Kumar for ditching the BJP, evicting it from the Bihar government is the promotion of Mr Modi to campaign-in-charge for his party, a decision that was announced in June.
Mr Kumar and his party, the Janata Dal (United) or JD(U), revolted. Another BJP leader, LK Advani, however, was first. Hours after Mr Modi's promotion, Mr Advani resigned from all his party posts, but was persuaded to return to the fold within 24 hours. Mr Sinha is among the ensemble of BJP leaders who are seen to be close to Mr Advani.
Mr Modi's detractors outside the BJP accuse him of not doing enough to stop hundreds of Muslims from being killed in the communal violence that rocked his state in 2002. Within his party, the Chief Minister's opponents feel that Mr Modi, hugely popular with party workers, alienates regional parties who have Muslim supporters, greatly diminishing the BJP's chances of forming a coalition strong enough to challenge the incumbent Congress-led UPA.