Tim Nicholls future as Liberal National Party leader is under a serious cloud following the party's disastrous showing in the Queensland election.
After a polished 27-day campaign in which Mr Nicholls tried to persuade Queenslanders the LNP had learnt from the mistakes made under Campbell Newman, the party suffered an eight per cent swing against it.
A sombre Mr Nicholls on Sunday was forced to dodge questions about potential efforts to topple him as party leader just hours after the count began.
"I'm not going to talk about any of those sort of things today," he told reporters from a Brisbane cafe on Sunday.
"I've got some friends and supporters who are here, we're going to celebrate a great campaign.
"Votes have been cast and we just wait for them to be counted."
There's also a growing push for the LNP to split back into separate Liberal and Nationals parties.
Veteran Nationals MP Vaughan Johnson says the relationship between the two sides of the merged party is decidedly frosty at present and federal members Matt Canavan and George Christensen are openly discussing the traditionally rural party's identity crisis.
" ... we need to listen more, work harder, stand up more for conservative values and regional Queensland and do better to win your trust and your vote," Mr Christensen wrote on Facebook.
In his post-election speech to a room of solemn party faithful on Saturday night, Mr Nicholls conceded the LNP hadn't done enough to convince voters to give them another chance.
"Queenslanders have not responded to Labor and the union movement's scare campaign or their demand for majority or nothing else," he told family and party officials.
"We have to do more and we have to do better in selling the message that this is what the LNP and only the LNP can deliver for all of Queensland."
The LNP was on Sunday on track to lose to Labor even if it gained the support of independents or minority parties, but Mr Nicholls has placed his hopes of a win on postal votes.
Deputy leader Deb Frecklington, frontbenchers Tim Mander and John-Paul Langbroek are considered possible leadership contenders, along with David Crisafulli, who is making his return to parliament after a three-year absence.
Mr Langbroek refused to rule out a punt when questioned directly.
"Let's see who's in our numbers in the party and then I'll consider options after discussions with my colleagues," he said on Saturday.
Mr Mander has taken a similar position, saying the party room would "regroup" once the final votes were counted, adding Mr Nicholls ties to Mr Newman had damaged their chances of success.
"There's a negative perception amongst many people about the previous government," he told Seven.
"Tim was closely tied to that and Labor very successfully managed to do that."
The party is also expected to see some high-profile casualties in shadow treasurer Scott Emerson, shadow attorney-general Ian Walker and Andrew Cripps, shadow member for mines and natural resources.
