Senior BJP as well as Shiv Sena ministers admitted that the alliance was facing a crisis.

``There is certainly a crisis. We can no longer ignore the trio's anti-party activities,'' a Sena minister said. ``We will have to chalk out a strategy to contain rebellion within the party.''

A BJP minister however felt this was the Shiv Sena's internal problem. ``It is true; to some extent, there is a threat to the alliance government, but we feel it is the responsibility of the Shiv Sena to tackle the rebellion on a priority basis,'' he added.

He hinted at the possibility of a `major revolt' in the Shiv Sena before the Nagpur session of the legislature; one that would prove `disastrous' for the alliance government, hewarned.

While there is no official confirmation of a meeting the three former ministers supposedly had with Congress president Sonia Gandhi, the trio did hold a marathon session with senior Congress leader Sharad Pawar at Chhindwara where, sources said, they thrashed out a strategy to dislodge the alliance government ahead of the winter session of the State Legislature scheduled to be held in Nagpur in December.

Both parties believe that a section of the Sena legislators has joined hands with Naik, Navale and Gawande, differing only on the numbers. The Sena estimate is between seven and 10, while the BJP puts the figure higher: between 18 and 20.

The Shiv Sena also acknowledges its failure to gauge the impact of Naik's expulsion. ``After his dismissal from the Cabinet, he succeeded in securing the support of like-minded legislators,'' the Sena minister said.

``Unfortunately, the party leadership failed to assess his influence on the its legislators, particularly from the rural parts of thestate.''

While the Sena had anticipated Naik's overtures to Pawar, it was Navale's decision to join him that sent party leaders reeling. ``We never thought Navale would join the Naik-Gawande camp, since he enjoys the support of (Deputy Chief Minister) Gopinath Munde,'' the Sena minister admitted.

As things stand now, according to a senior BJP leader, the Congress has conditionally agreed to make Ganesh Naik chief minister. ``We have been told that Naik will be made chief minister if he ensures the defection of at least 30 Shiv Sena legislators before the winter session begins. In that case, the Congress will support him from outside,'' the BJP leader added.

Even if Naik succeeds in engineering defections, which appears to be a remote possibility, he will require the support of at least 20 Independent legislators to form the government, he pointed out.

Naik was dismissed from the Cabinet by Chief Minister Manohar Joshi after he failed to resign in the wake of differences with Sena chief BalThackeray.

Since his dismissal, Naik has been in constant touch with Pawar. In fact, during the June biennial elections to the Rajya Sabha and the Legislative Council, Naik, along with a section of Sena and BJP legislators, had managed to engineer large-scale cross voting in favour of the Congress.

Minister of State for Energy Suresh Navale met Naik's fate after he blasted the alliance government on the law and order situation on the floor of the House during the monsoon session. While, Gulabrao Gawande had submitted his resignation to the Chief Minister following Thackeray's 'directives.'