Though the differences between Joshi and Rane are well known, this is the first time there has been an open confrontation in the presence of party legislators.

The meeting was reportedly convened at the instance of senior Sena leader Uddhav Thackeray to take stock of the political situation in the wake of a split allegedly engineered by rebel Sena leader Ganesh Naik. Significantly, Uddhav Thackeray did not attend the meeting, which was eventuallyaddressed by Joshi.

In his brief speech, the legislator said, Joshi sent tremors through the gathering with his allusion to the possibility of a split in the party at the instance of rebels led by Ganesh Naik. In the same breath, the chief minister told the legislators that he was ``fully aware'' of the identity of those legislators who were planning to defect and who had been bribed.

Joshi remarked that soon after the session, he would brief Sena chief Bal Thackeray on the state of affairs of the party. Having made his point, the chief minister then asked his legislators to join him for dinner.

Even as Joshi sat back, smug over what turned out to be a relatively smooth winter session, Rane rose and sought his permission to make a few submissions.

What followed was a hard hitting speech in which Rane asked the chief minister to disclose the names of the party legislators who had accepted money and, as Joshi had suggested, were likely to defect to the organisation floated by Ganesh Naik and GulabraoGawande. ``If you claim that you are aware of the names of the legislators, as Chief Minister, it is your responsibility to declare these names in the legislature party meeting,'' Rane demanded as the legislators looked on, stunned.

Ever since the alliance government came to power four-and-half years ago, reports of ``large scale defections'' or ``change in leadership'' kept cropping up every three months or so, Rane said. ``I feel that the issue should be settled today itself. Let the party legislators know who are the traitors and immediately after the session, we should brief Balasaheb on the political situation,'' Rane told the meeting, the legislator revealed.

Recalling the defection under the leadership of Bhujbal in 1993, Rane pointed out that the Shiv Sena was then in the Opposition, Now, it was a ruling party, he reminded the chief minister.

``Though we are in power, we are helplessly watching the anti-party activities of the Naik-Navale-Gawande trio. What steps have been taken to halt theiractivities?'' he demanded. ``It is unfortunate that an atmosphere of suspicion and uncertainty is prevailing within the Shiv Sena due to statements made by our own leaders,'' he added. ``Now is the time for introspection,'' Rane said, winding up his speech.