New Delhi, Jun 20 (IANS): Amid speculation about the Janata Dal (United) splitting from the NDA over Narendra Modi's projection as the prime ministerial candidate, JD(U) chief Sharad Yadav Wednesday declined to comment on the prickly issue, saying he had nothing to comment as he was busy with the presidential election.

"I will not comment on it. I am right now busy with the presidential election," Yadav told reporters when asked whether there was a rift between the JD(U) and the National Democratic Alliance over Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi being pitted as the NDA's prime ministerial candidate.

When repeatedly asked about the controversy, Yadav refused to be bite the bait, and reiterated that his focus was right now on evolving a consensus NDA candidate for the president.

A day after Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar said that the NDA's prime ministerial candidate should be "secular and liberal," Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) chief Mohan Bhagwat Wednesday strongly backed Narendra Modi as the NDA combine's prime ministerial candidate.

"To keep alive the Hindutva ideology, the Hindu 'samaaj' (society) should come together. And the country should have a prime minister who believes in that ideology or propounds that view," Bhagwat told reporters in Nagpur.

This sparked speculation about the likely exit of the JD(U) from the NDA.