Patna, May 17 : Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar decided to step down from his post on Saturday afternoon after several ministers and Janata Dal (United) members of the legislative assembly squarely blamed him for the defeat of the party in the 2014 general elections.

Reports said that sources at the chief minister's office and residence, and Raj Bhavan sources have confirmed that Kumar had submitted his resignation to Bihar Governor Dr. D. Y. Patil.

Earlier on Saturday, internal bickerings surfaced within the JD-U, particularly over Kumar's decision to cut 17-year-long ties with the BJP last year, and this forced Kumar to consider submitting his resignation.

He is expected to address a press conference here at 5 p. m.

On Friday, in a terse statement, Kumar said that he "respected the mandate of the people" in favour of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).

In an election where the BJP and JD(U) fought separately after their political divorce in 2013 over projecting Narendra Modi as the prime ministerial nominee of the BJP-led NDA, Nitish Kumar's party could win just two seats.

The JD-U Government is already in a minority in the Bihar State Assembly.

Kumar had been in power for the last nine years. (ANI)