The Nitish Kumar-led faction of the Janata Dal (United) passed a resolution on Saturday to join the Bharatiya Janata Party-led National Democratic Alliance at the Centre. The decision was taken at the day-long national executive meeting at the Bihar chief minister’s official residence.

Its rival faction, headed by senior leader Sharad Yadav, is expected to hold a meet shortly, fuelling speculation of a split in the party. Yadav reached Patna amid slogans in his support around noon.

Earlier, reports had said that the Yadav group is expected to hold a meeting called the “jan adalat” on Saturday. The Kumar-led national executive was expected to pass a resolution to join the Bharatiya Janata Party-led National Democratic Alliance, another to condemn corruption and also decide on Yadav’s suspension from the party. Yadav’s group is likely to highlight how Kumar went against the promises that he had made to the state, according to The New Indian Express.

The two factions had carried out a poster war in Patna. The Yadav camp called itself the “real Janata Dal United” and said the Grand Alliance is still on, while the chief minister’s group put up posters saying the people have chosen Nitish Kumar again.

Political tensions have been high in the state since Kumar broke up the alliance known as the “mahagathbandhan” in the state. He split up the Congress, Rashtriya Janata Dal and JD(U) alliance and resigned as the chief minister on July 26. He later allied with the Bharatiya Janata Party and was sworn in as the chief minister again. Kumar had said he was quitting because of the corruption charges against many leaders of the Rashtriya Janata Dal.

On August 12, Yadav, who disagreed with Kumar’s decisions, was replaced as the party leader in the Rajya Sabha. The party had also suspended Rajya Sabha MP Ali Anwar Ansari for attending an Opposition parties’ meeting convened by Congress chief Sonia Gandhi. On August 21, 21 leaders, believed to be Yadav loyalists, were also suspended.