Naik’s counter-move being awaited after his dismissal

Meanwhile, sources close to the ousted minister claimed that Ganesh Naik was slowly evolving a strategy to either dislodge the alliance government altogether or at least manoeuvre the downfall of Chief Minister Manohar Joshi. On his part Naik played it cool. "I have no plans to resign from the Shiv Sena to join any party. As alegislator, I have still two years to complete my term. During this period, even without leaving the party, I can continue to work for the masses," he told The Indian Express.

But the atmosphere in the party was one of unease. After Chhagan Bhujbal, this is the first time a high-profile leader, taking exception to his fall from grace, chose to virtually defy the diktat of Bal Thackeray. Naik is conducting an exercise to ascertain the true support he enjoys and is confabulating with his colleagues, particularly corporators in the Navi Mumbai, Ulhasnagar and Thane Municipal Corporations and also the legislators from the entire belt.

According to a senior Sena leader, Naik’s course of action will depend on the outcome of the Legislative Council polls held on Friday, the result of which will be declared on Sunday. In the event, Shiv Sena nominee Shashikant Thosar is defeated at the hands of Congress candidate Vasant Davkhare, then it will be a major boost for Naik to reorganise himself against the Senaleadership. The result is seen to be crucial, for on it will depend whether the Sena leadership will opt to expel the errant leader the party altogether.

A Sena leader, on condition of anonymity, said Naik is also seriously exploring ways to topple the three-year-old Sena-BJP government. the second alternative is to dislodge the Chief Minister. "Certainly, it will be difficult for Naik to topple the alliance government, but it will not be difficult to dislodge the Chief Minister," the Sena leader said.

Elaborating on his contention, the Sena leader said in the house of 288, the alliance has 139 members – 65 of the BJP and 74 of the Shiv Sena. As per the agreement reached between Shiv Sena and BJP, the chief ministership is to be vested with the party that has numerical superiority. Manohar Joshi was chosen for the coveted post under this formula. "If Naik succeeds in securing resignations of 10 members, then the strength of the Shiv Sena will be reduced and it will become less than that of the BJP. Inthat event, Joshi will have to pave way for a BJP leader to take over from him," he said.

I’ve been humiliated, says Choudhary

An agitated Choudhary has now forwarded his resignation from the Assembly too to State BJP president Suryabhan Wahadane. "I was in a remote village in Dhule district. When I was viewing the late night bulletin, I was shocked when I heard that I had been dismissed from the cabinet," Choudhary told media persons at his residence.

Strongly criticising the BJP leadership for his unceremonious removal, Choudhary said this was not the way to treat a senior party worker. "Had any senior party functionary informed me, I would have resigned immediately without waiting for a moment," Choudhary said, adding, during his two-and-a-half decades’ association with the party, he neither sought nomination for the Assembly nor wasinterested in a cabinet berth.

"So far, I have contested elections on nine occasions, twice for Parliament and seven times for the Assembly. I was declared elected to the Assembly on three occasions, while I could not make it to Parliament," Choudhary, a tribal leader from Dhule district remarked.

Choudhary was more shocked and surprised over the attitude of Deputy CM Gopinath Munde. "During the mid-term polls, Munde urged me to contest and then he had assured me that in the event he is elected, he will make me a Central minister. However, I declined to contest owing to family problems. When I was offered central ministership by Munde, I never thought that I will be dismissed in such a manner," Choudhary added.