Speculation are rife that Bihar Chief Minister and INDIA bloc ally Nitish Kumar might return to the Bharatiya Janata Party-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA). India Today cited BJP sources as saying on Thursday that the BJP has set a condition for the JD(U) chief if he wants to return to the alliance. And that condition is: Nitish Kumar must quit as the chief minister, sources said.

       Meanwhile, Jan Ki Baat, which predicts elections through opinion and exit polls, also cited sources as saying that Nitish Kumar is set to return to the NDA and is currently mulling legal options to dissolve state assembly. Earlier in the days, sources told NDTV that Nitish Kumar might not join the 'Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra', led by Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, when it enters his state on January 29.

       Amid the reports, Union Minister Giriraj Singh said, "As a BJP worker, I can say that the door to enter into our party is closed for Nitish Kumar. He is an unreliable politician."

       Nitish Kumar is a key figure in the INDIA coalition who switched from the BJP two years ago. JD(U) leader KC Tyagi said on Thursday Nitish Kumar had appreciated Prime Minister Narendra Modi for awarding 'Bharat Ratna' to Karpoori Thakur.

       He told ANI , “Nitish Kumar ji appreciated the way Karpoori Thakur did not give MLA ticket to his own son. He also appreciated the PM for awarding 'Bharat Ratna' to Karpoori Thakur." Nitish Kumar had earlier rejected the post of convenor of the INDIA bloc, as per ANI sources.