The seven jittery MLAs - Madan Pisal, Rajvardhan Kadambande, P C Padvi, Rajendra Singane, Mohanrao Gudge, Ajitrao Ghorpade and Deorao Radke - in a letter to the Assembly Speaker, Datta Nalawade, have denied the claim that they have joined the Congress. But their identical replies to the notices are give-away to the fact that they had indeed applied for membership of the century-old party. The replies maintained that they had not become members of theCongress and as such the provisions of the anti-defection act were not applicable to them.

The Shiv Sena, in a master-stroke, dealt a severe blow to the Opposition by getting the Speaker to serve notices on the seven Independents at a time when there was strong speculation that a powerful block of 23 Independents would join the Congress and a section of the ruling Shiv Sena, led by the expelled minister Ganesh Naik, would break away during the winter session.

However, the Speaker's move has effectively scotched such rumours. Instead of destabilising the Sena-BJP Government the Congress will now have to perforce spend all its energy on proving that the Independents are not joining the party and that it is not interested in toppling the Manohar Joshi-led government. Besides, the Congress chief clarified by saying that Shiv Sena MLA Chandrakant Padwal, who raised the disqualification issue before the Speaker armed with the nailing documents, had submitted forged letters to the Assembly Speaker on the issue.This robbed the Congress of the initial euphoria it had experienced after the party's victory in the recent Assembly elections in Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan and Delhi.

Earlier, analysts expected that the Congress would exploit the growing price rise issue, the fast deteriorating law and order situation in the State, particularly in Mumbai and the financial crisis staring at the government, to corner the ruling Sena-BJP alliance. Obviously, these issues will figure during the Assembly session, but the Speaker's move has resulted in the Congress losing some of its earlier aggression on these subjects.

Political observers here feel that the clever strategy of the Sena may give the beleaguered alliance another fresh lease for ruling the State with the possibility of disqualification hanging like a Damocles' sword over the ambitious Independents, they would no doubt lie low for the time being. A ripple effect will be ensured with the other independents, whose support is crucial for the SS-BJP to continue ingovernment, continuing to support it. Now, the session is expected to transact business for two weeks and in all probability would witness the ritual of morchas and the usual noisy exhibition of lung power in both the houses.

However, the ruling alliance may have to prove that it can ensure stability if the Opposition-sponsored no-trust motion against the Speaker comes up for a debate and vote in the Assembly in the very first week of the session itself.

This was evident from the statement of the Pradesh Congress chief Prataprao Bhonsale that the Congress was not interested in dislodging the government but would prefer that the alliance government failed due to its own `misdeeds.'