"Desh ka neta kaisa ho, Nitish Kumar jaisa ho," was the slogan that rent the air, and summed up the sentiment, at the JD(U)'s Bihar headquarters in Patna ahead of the party's national executive meeting scheduled on Saturday, 3 September.
The chief minister visited the Birchand Patel Marg office on Friday to take stock of the preparations for the meeting, which would be attended by JD(U) office bearers from across the country and would be followed, a day later, by a meeting of the national council, the apex body of the party.
The septuagenarian responded to the chants with folded hands and requested journalists not to embarrass him with questions about his being in the race for prime ministership.
However, banners put up at the JD(U) office bore slogans that sent across the message loud and clear that the party expected its de facto leader to play a "national role".
"Pradesh mein dikha, desh mein dikhega" (it has been seen in the state, now it will be seen across the country), "aagaz hua, badlaav hoga" (a beginning has been made, change will follow) are a couple of slogans indicative of the buoyancy in the party since Kumar bit the bullet and walked out of the shadow of a domineering BJP.