Bihar Election Results: The NDA had announced Nitish Kumar as its chief ministerial candidate.(File)
A decision on whether Nitish Kumar would get another term as Bihar's Chief Minister will be announced today after a legislators' meeting of the National Democratic Alliance, which won majority in the recently concluded assembly elections in the state.
"Things will be discussed in detail (at the legislature party meeting) and all decisions will be taken at that time," Mr Kumar had told reporters on Friday after a meeting of NDA leaders at his residence on Friday.
Despite assurances from the BJP that Nitish Kumar would retain the post, the dismal performance of his Janata Dal United has put a question on it.
From 71 seats in 2015, the JD(U) - the big brother in the state alliance for decades - could scrape up only 43 seats in this election, way behind the 74 scooped up the BJP.
The numbers are being seen as a mandate for the ruling alliance, but against Mr Kumar as the chief minister. It has also given a handle to a section in the BJP, which had reservations about his position of power.
After the election, Nitish Kumar had said the NDA will decide who will be the Chief Minister - a statement seen as a sign of nervousness over the reversal of fortune.
The other factor in the situation is Chirag Paswan, an NDA ally whose rebellion against Mr Kumar's leadership and subsequent solo contest had cut into the JD(U) votes. With the BJP doing nothing to contain him, critics said his rebellion had the tacit support of the party.
Questions are now being raised about whether Mr Paswan - who was batting for a "Nitish-Mukt Bihar (NItish-free Bihar) - would continue to remain part of the ruling combine in the state.
The BJP, ahead of the election, said anyone not accepting Nitish Kumar's leadership would not be considered part of the NDA.
The BJP's inaction had hugely upset Mr Kumar who expressed his bitterness after the election, saying, "It is up to the BJP to decide fate of those who cut votes".
On Thursday, the opposition's Tejashwi Yadav -- whose Rashtriya Janata Dal turned out to be the single largest party with 75 seats -- took a swipe at Mr Kumar, saying the voters made it clear that they wanted change..
"See where Nitish Kumar's glow has gone. He has been pushed to the third position. This is a mandate for change," he had said.