New Delhi: Bihar chief minister Nitish Kumar is scheduled to address the national executive of his party in Delhi on Sunday to outline his political strategy, at a time when he finds himself in a tough spot to deal with a "new BJP" under Amit Shah, less than a year after he broke off with the RJD in a huff.

The JDU national executive meeting that started on Saturday, is likely to pass a resolution on Sunday reiterating what the party has started saying of late: to assert the importance of Nitish. The JDU has demanded that Nitish should be the face of the NDA in Bihar and the JDU's pre-eminent position in the state should be restored. Both these issues, aimed to drive a hard bargain with the BJP over seat sharing in the Lok Sabha polls, are likely to find place in the political resolution to be passed at the meet on Sunday.

The JDU, party leaders said, has sensed the "new BJP" under Shah would treat them as a "junior ally", leave very few Lok Sabha seats for the party to contest in 2019 and take it forward even in the Assembly polls in 2020.

Nitish's speech at the executive, however, would be keenly watched. He had used a similar meeting in Delhi in 2013 to tear into Narendra Modi, and flag his opposition with the leader's projection as the prime ministerial candidate. But his speech will not be an open one this time. It will be a closed-door affair.

The JDU boss finds himself in near similar kind of situation now, party insiders said. Unlike then, though, he has limited options now, having weakened his position with too many turns and U-turns. "Don't expect him to give an ultimatum to the BJP as in 2013 but Nitish ji is expected to underline that he can't be ignored or finished," one JDU leader said.

Nitish, party insiders said, would indicate in his speech that the BJP's effort to treat the JDU as a "junior ally" in Bihar would not be tolerated. He will seek to tell the BJP that the JDU continues to enjoy the support of the people based on "good governance", party leaders said.

The JDU hopes their strong position would lead BJP chief Shah to buckle when he meets their leader in Patna on July 12.

Asked what the JDU will do if the BJP doesn't treat them with "due respect", a key leader said: "We are part of the NDA now and have no plans to quit. But nothing can be ruled out in politics."