“Quo Vadis Antonis Samaras” would be a fitting headline for New Democracy leader Antonis Samaras on Sunday evening, given that his party trails first-place SYRIZA by as much as 10 percentage points in some exit polls.

Regardless of what the final figures record, the assured landslide victory of leftist SYRIZA has already caused ripples in ND and the ubiquitous “leaks by close aides”, as the evening headed into the wee hours.

“I am here in order to ensure the party’s unity and to lead it (ND) to a (party) congress, in order to determine the policy and ideological countenance of the party,” is one of the statements, attributed to Samaras, to first emerge.

In a statement attributed by name, though, ND secretary Andreas Papamimikos disputed reports that he had clashed with Samaras’ chief strategist Chrysanthos Lazaridis over a so-called “campaign of fear” to influence voters. Reports pointed to “annoyance” by top cadres in the party’s headquarters.

With Samaras as it’s leader, ND recorded a record low turnout (for the party) of nearly 19 percent in May 2012, while still coming in first. It rebounded to close – but not exceeding – 30 percent a month later during the June 2012 repeat election. Samaras and ND governed since June 2012 in a coalition with socialist PASOK, and midway through its term, with the pro-Europe Democratic Left party.

In later reports, it appeared Samaras would speak before TV cameras when a clearer picture of results emerged.

Asked about brewing internal party developments, recently tapped party spokeswoman Maria Spyraki merely noted that “no issue of Samaras’ resignation from ND’s leadership was raised.”

Queried on whether a party congress was in the works, Spyraki, who is an elected MEP and a former TV reporter once embedded with New Democracy, said that “there’s nothing on this”.

Samaras was reportedly meeting at the party’s headquarters in the late evening.