Among the bureaucrats, Additional Chief Secretary Arun Bongirwar and Principal Secretary Ajit Warty, who were in Manohar Joshi's office, are expected to be shunted out in next few days. But Chief Secretary P Subramanian may stay. Low profile Johny Joseph, Revenue Secretary, who successfully completed the World Bank funded earth quake rehabilitation project, is the most likely candidate to replace Bongiwar.

Along with Bongiwar and Warty, at least a dozen top bureaucrats will also be shifted for their failure to toe the line of the Shiv Sena-BJP alliance. The state ministers have repeatedly blamed the bureaucracy for not cooperating with them. As a senior Shiv Sena ministerrevealed: ``At the high-level meeting convened by Shiv Sena supremo Bal Thackeray on Tuesday, it was made clear that the Joshi government had failed to deliver the goods owing to virtual non-cooperation of the senior officials at the helm of affairs.''

The minister said Rane is likely to bring in more dynamic and result oriented officials, who will ensure completion of developmental schemes in a time bound period. ``Rane has already prepared the list of officials who will be shifted to Mantralaya from the field for the purpose,'' the minister added. Rane, who promised that the people of ``the state will realise a new chief minister has taken over within the span of a day,'' has said that though none of the members of Manohar Joshi's ministry will be dropped, their portfolios will be changed to ensure better administration.

``Particularly, the departments of Shiv Sena ministers will be changed after consultation with Bal Thackeray,'' he said. In the case of BJP members of the cabinet, Union Information andBroadcasting Minister Pramod Mahajan in consultation with Deputy Minister Gopinath Munde will decide the issue. Sena and BJP leaders met Bal Thackeray late Sunday night to decide on the reshuffle.

It is widely believed that both the parties will drop at least three controversial ministers from the cabinet, though no one is yet willing to name names.At the same time, the CM-designate is also expected to make drastic changes in the Mumbai police force to tackle the deteriorating law and order situation. While Commissioner of Police R H Mendonca is unlikely to be shifted, most of the Joint Commissioners, Additional Commissioners as well as Deputy Commissioners of Police will be moved.

A reshuffle at the level of Director General of Police is also not ruled out. At the moment, there are four Director Generals of Police - Arvind Inamdar, Gyanchand Verma, Subhash Malhotra and J S Puri. ``Even on the law and order front, a time bound action plan will have to be drafted in consultation with Deputy ChiefMinister Gopinath Munde,'' the minister added.

Meanwhile, immediately after Munde called on Governor P C Alexander to extend support to the nomination of Rane, the later also met the Governor at Raj Bhavan.

According to a senior Shiv Sena leader, 14 independent legislators, including all the seven ministers in the Joshi government have individually informed the government about their unequivocal support to Rane.