IN 1995 Bal Thackeray singlehandedly ensured the victory of the Shiv Sena-BJP in Maharashtra. Three years later the same Thackeray singlehandedly ensured the defeat of the saffron combine. He has targeted some "non-performing" ministers and shakha pramukhs as he feels they are responsible for the debacle. He says he is going to axe them—a step that would be grossly unfair. Since he himself called all the shots in the administration as well as the organisation, he should be gracious enough to accept the blame.