India, Nov. 14 -- Janata Dal (United) president Nitish Kumar called on Union panchayati raj minister and senior party leader Rajiv Ranjan Singh alias Lalan Singh on Friday evening, hours after the latter met with chief minister Samrat Choudhary.

Although senior leaders of both leading parties of the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) - JD(U) and BJP - dismissed the meeting as routine, it fanned speculation about growing strains within the coalition in general and the JD(U) in particular.

The meetings took place on the day CM Choudhary announced that the Kachhi Dargah-Raghopur-Bidupur six-lane bridge would be named after Nitish Kumar. Prime Minister Narendra Modi is scheduled to dedicate the bridge, now to be known as Nitish Setu, at a f...