Commenting on the appointments and nominations, Thackeray says since it is a coalition government, instead of taking unilateral decisions, the government should have taken decisions by consensus.

``The NDA appointed governors for Karnataka, Bihar, Manipur and Goa. At least for Goa, which is culturally associated with Maharashtra, there should have been deliberations. However, the manner in which the appointment for Goa was made leads one to conclude that there is no competent person in Maharashtra who can hold the top constitutional post,'' Thackeray rues.

Commenting onRajya Sabha nominations the editorial says, ``No doubt the persons appointed to the Upper House are of eminence, but we feel that alliance partners should have been consulted while making these appointments.'' The editorial also criticises the NDA for giving undue importance to politicians like Ram Vilas Paswan and Sharad Yadav at the cost of the real partners of the NDA. ``We have two and half berths in the Central cabinet. Two Cabinet members and one Minister of State, but we have been given less important portfolios. Under such circumstances, our ministers will not be able to show their performance,'' it states.

However, Thackeray has made it clear that despite such a situation, Shiv Sena will never ditch either the NDA or Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee.On Mahajan's statement, the editorial says ``It is true that we are out of power, but it needs to be examined as to who is responsible for such a situation. While Narayan Rane was drafting his strategy from his official residence, Gopinath Munde toowas planning a separate strategy for forming the government. Had they made joint effort, then there was a good chance for the alliance to retain power,'' it states.

Further, Thackeray has pointed out that though the strength of the alliance reached 140, BJP refused to meet the governor to stake claim on the ground that it was short of five members required to form the government. On the other hand, Congress, with just 75 seats, called on the government immediately after the results were declared.p``Since it was an alliance, BJP should have honoured it till the last moment, instead of drafting a separate strategy. In the whole process, the crisis-ridden Congress got sufficient opportunity to join hands with its arch rival Nationalist Congress Party and form the government.''.

``Thackeray's charge does not hold water. There was no way Sena-BJP alliance could have come to power given the results of the State election,'' the senior BJP minister said. The Sena and the Bharatiya Janata Party had won 69 and 56votes in the recently held Assembly elections respectively. Mahajan had dismissed the unhappiness in the Shiv Sena camps, who are blaming `some ambitious BJP leaders' for having had created hurdles in the saffron combine's claim to power, as mere passing agony.

``There is bound to be some mutterings when you lose,'' he added.