"The issue of providing free power to farmers as unilaterally declared by Thackeray at Shiv Sena's annual dussehra rally on October 1 was discussed at length in the meeting. It was decided that Munde and Shivankar will brief Thackeray on practical difficulties involved in implementing his order,'' said a senior BJP leader.

The BJP leader said, based on the Maharashtra State Electricity Board (MSEB) and the Finance Department's observation, providing free power will not be possible owing to unprecedented financial crisis.

A cold war is on between the Shive Sena and the BJP since Thackeray asked Chief Minister Manohar Joshi to provide free power to farmers without consulting Munde who also holds theEnergy portfolio. While, this seems to have offended the BJP members, Joshi is determined to implement the order.

Subsequently, when Munde officially declared that it will not be possible to provide free power unless a budgetary provision of Rs 650 crore was made for the purpose, Joshi urged him to keep quiet over the controversy, while Thackeray alleged that there was rampant corruption in the MSEB.

However, BJP spokesman Prakash Jawdekar denied that the issue of providing free power to farmers was discussed in today's meeting. ``We discussed our own programmes and plans. There was no discussion on the intra-alliance disputes including the row over providing free power to farmers,'' Jawdekar said. ``The issue of providing free power to farmers and allied matters will be discussed tomorrow,'' he said.

The issues discussed in the meeting today, Jawdekar said, were a 15-month training programme, mass contact and fund raising programme called `Action plan 2000' for the March, 2000 Assemblyelections.

Senior party leader Pramod Mahajan and Munde briefed Cabinet members and State office-bearers on the on-going preparations for the next Assembly polls. Significantly, State unit president and MP Suryabhan Wahadane did not turn up at the meeting.

A four-day training programme beginning from October 25 will mark the inauguration of the party's new strategy to galvanise the organisation. It will be followed by party conventions at the regional, district and Assembly constituency level to further strengthen the party for the next Assembly elections.

``During the programme, it has also been decided to present a purse to Thakre. Though no target has been fixed, heads of the district units have been asked to collect a good amount. Similar purses were presented to Atal Behari Vajpayee, L K Advani and Murli Manohar Joshi when they were at the helm of party affairs,'' Jawdekar added.

Simultaneously, all the ministers have also been given specific responsibility during the next 15 months. At themoment, most of the ministers are busy with the administration and government and as such, they are unable to devote much time for the party. ``Now we have given a specific programme to each Cabinet member,'' Jawdekar said.