During the course of the meeting, Kumar and Khagaria MP Shakuni Chaudhary, whose wife Parvati Devi was among the three Samata Party MLAs to have voted in favour of the Rabri Devi Government, are reported to have entered into a verbal duel at the end of which an exasperated Kumar urged Fernandes to relieve him from his ministerial post.

The Defence Minister, of course, turned down the offer, but Chaudhary could not help make a snide remark at what he felt was the Railways Minister's `dramabazi' (theatrics).

Ever since he became an MP, Chaudharyhas been engaged in a running feud with the party leadership. His actions have been viewed with suspicion, and many in the party say that he will very soon chart out an independent course of action. Only last week, he invited senior Janata Dal leader Ram Vilas Paswan to Khagaria to attend a function.

During the meeting, Chaudhary was reportedly asked to explain his wife's decision to break away from the party. He responded by stating that he himself had been taken by surprise by the news. ``I have not been in touch with her of late. So I can't say how she took the decision,'' he observed.But he went on to add that in a democracy, everyone was free to take his or her own decision. ``We cannot impose our will on anyone,'' he said.

The meeting was attended by all 13 MPs (12 elected and one nominated), and the mood prevalent among them was decidedly grim. Fernandes, according to an MP, looked uncharacteristically downcast, aware that all was not well within the five-year-old party.

The meeting saw MPsgiving vent to their feelings in front of Fernandes and Kumar. Most of their grievances centred around two things -- that, despite their party being in power at the Centre, they could not get their works done, and that, after becoming ministers at the Centre, both Fernandes and Kumar had started ignoring their party colleagues.

``How are we going to face our electorate ? Previously, when our Government was not there at the Centre, we could offer an excuse. Now that our party is in power, what do we tell them ?'' many MPs are said to have complained.Aurangabad MP Sushil Kumar Singh reportedly complained about the Centre's decision to set up thermal power plants at North Karanpura (Hazaribagh) and Barh, while ignoring the claims of his constituency. He in fact blasted Power Minister P R Kumaramangalam for refusing to accept the proposal to set up a plant at Nabinaagar, which falls in his constituency.

The project, according to Singh, was mooted first during Rajiv Gandhi's tenure as Prime Minister. Thereasons behind the selection of Aurangabad for the project were as valid today as they were in 1988. The area remained at the centre of the most backward region of Bihar and was also very conveniently located with regard to fuel supply and linkages. The preliminary work on the project, including techno-economic and environmental clearances as well as land acquisition had already been done.

The meeting ended with the MPs assuring the two leaders that they would not do anything to damage the party. Fernandes also assured them he would hold such meetings more often to ensure a better coordination among the MPs.