Thackeray set the ball rolling in the latest round of confrontation with a sensational disclosure during the saffron week programmes that a top official of the MSEB had offered him a bribe of Rs 25 lakh per month if he was appointed on the Board. MSEB is directly under the administrative control of Munde, who alsoholds the energy portfolio. On his part, Joshi asked Munde to stop airing his views on the row.

Joshi's deputy has been peeved ever since Thackeray announced free power for 24 lakh farmers at his Dussehra rally on October 1. Munde was not even informed of the move which has enormous financial implications. Ever since, the Deputy Chief Minister has been reportedly complaining in private while openly, he has only talked about the financial unviability of the scheme. However, today speaking to mediapersons after a public function at Vasai, he let his guard down and retorted to Joshi's charge that he is `talking too much' with ``I am working for the cause of the citizens and the society and I have every right to take them into confidence and I don't agree with the allegations of the Chief Minister.''

Talking to The Indian Express, Munde went into a retaliatory mode. ``If they feel that I should not be making statements, then I also expect a similar gesture from them,'' Munde rationalised. It wasunfortunate that Joshi, Subhash Desai and Sanjay Nirupam have been making public statements and as such being the Energy Minister, it was his duty to reply to the charges, Munde said. ``If the Chief Minister stops his comments, I will follow suit immediately,'' he quipped.Referring to Thackeray's statement on bribe, Munde said had he given the information, he would have taken action against the erring official. ``I plan to meet Thackeray in a day or two and then I will ask him to disclose the name of the official,'' he said.

Thackeray had launched an attack on the functioning of the MSEB immediately after inaugurating the Saffron Week at his residence on October 9. Speaking at length on the rampant corruption and irregularities in the Board, he observed that if the Board succeeded in curbing corruption, theft of power and other irregularities, it would not be difficult to supply free power to farmers.

Subsequently, on Sunday, Joshi said in Nagpur that though there were differences between Sena and BJP onthe issue, it was improper on Munde's part to publicly speak against a policy decision of his party. No doubt there were certain practical difficulties in implementing the decision, but since the directive had come from Thackeray, it was binding on the government to do so, he said. This is the second major flash-point in the alliance's troubled relationship after the Suresh Dada Jain and Kirit Somaiyya face-off over the slum dwellers rehabilitation scheme. However, this spat is different in one crucial aspect unlike the earlier one, it won't blow off with Thackeray's intervention, but only get compounded.