The Cabinet, which was scheduled to meet at 9 am was put off by an hour after senior BJP ministers Anna Dange and Eknath Khase conveyed their party's decision to sit out of the meeting. Even as Chief Minister Manohar Joshi was trying to get his alliance partners to the table, Deputy Chief Minister Gopinath Munde handed a one-page letter listing out complaints about three-and-a-half years of a rough marriage. Eventually, the Cabinet met at 10 am without a single BJP minister and dispersed within ten minutes without taking up any item onthe agenda.

``I tried to convince Munde, Dange and Khadse to participate in the meeting, but did not succeed,'' Joshi later told reporters while Munde was resolute in his demand: ``So long as the disputes are not resolved, we will not participate in the Cabinet meetings.''

Both Joshi and Munde declined to say anything more, preferring to wait for the outcome of the joint meeting of the parties convened by Bal Thackeray on Wednesday. They were, nonetheless, hopeful that the war of words between BJP state chief Suryabhan Wahadane and city chief Kirit Somaiyya on the one hand and Shiv Sena's Sureshdada Jain on the other, would end after the meeting.

(Somaiyya and Wahadane had criticised Jain's latest mass housing scheme as `impractical' upon which Jain called Kirit a `fool'.) ``We will resolve the disputes. I am sure, following the intervention of Bal Thackeray, the situation will return to normal,'' Joshi said. Asked if the government would restructure the mass housing project as demanded by the BJP,Joshi initially said it was the unanimous decision of the Cabinet but quickly amended it saying all such questions would be taken up at the meeting.

On his part, Thackeray admitted that it was wrong of Sureshdada Jain to cast aspersions on senior BJP leaders. ``It was improper. I have already taken a serious note of it and have asked all the Shiv Sena cabinet members to refrain from interacting with reporters to maintain discipline in the party,'' he pointed out.

It is generally believed that there is no threat to the alliance government, but there is some skepticism about the bit on Manohar Joshi's leadership because though the immediate issue at hand is the difference over the housing scheme, some see in the aggressive way the BJP has gone about it, a deliberate attempt to embarrass Joshi.

For example, the housing scheme is last on Munde's grumble-list with a long preamble on how the Sena has been less than considerate for its partner.

Actually, the letter is a virtual indictment of the way theSena government, under Joshi, has deliberately delayed projects initiated by the BJP. It says: ``During the last-three-and-half years, Shiv Sena has always given a step-motherly treatment to BJP. We tolerated the ill-treatment since it was our sincere desire that the government should complete the five-year term.

Under Shivshahi, several new schemes were drafted and approved, but none of these were initiated by the BJP. ``We had specifically asked you to take an immediate decision on the restoration of land of marginal farmers; set up an autonomous corporation for the welfare of OBC; regularise land encroached by tribals before 1978 and withdraw cases against those who participated in the agitation for construction of the temple at AyodhyaTo protest against the indifferent attitude of the Sena towards the BJP, BJP ministers will be boycotting the Cabinet till the disputes are resolved amicably.''

Munde's missive...Sena has always given a step motherly treatment to the BJP. We toleratedill-treatment since it was our sincere desire that the alliance should complete its term. By and large, you have deliberately delayed decisions on the roposals/schemes submitted by the BJP. It is our considered opinion that all along, you have adopted a negative approach towards our plans & programmes.