Calling the last minute issuance of invitation cards as ``a planned way of keeping us out'', the Thane BJP workers stayed out of the function organised by the local Sena unit to inaugurate the election office here. The inauguration of the office, which will handle campaigning for both assembly candidate M D Joshi and parliamentary candidate Prakash Paranjpe, was done by senior Sena leader Pramod Navalkar.

Thane based Sena leader Anand Dighe, who is reported to be the brain behind the move, made frantic calls to the BJP leaders claiming that ``It was a misunderstanding''. But the BJP wasn't biting. Thane city unit president Vidyadhar Thanekar told mediapersons, ``When theSena is going to reap dividends entirely due to the work done by Atalji (Vajpayee), why couldn't they involve us in the organisation of the programme? Ultimately, they should remember that Thane is a BJP bastion and our voters vote for their candidate only because of the alliance.'' The local BJP unit is particularly miffed that not even one of its office-bearer's names was printed on the invitation sent out.

In the neighbouring Dahanu parliamentary constituency, campaigning for Chintaman Wanagha and Vishnu Sawra (sitting MLA from Wada) began from Vajreshwari temple. Sainiks, who wanted to return yesterday's rebuke by the BJP in Thane, stayed away from what was an out and out BJP affair. A vikas rath which will ``educate people about the achievements of the BJP governance at both the state and Centre'' will be used in the campaigning. Sanjay Kelkar, general secretary of the BJP's Thane city unit, senior Thane Municipal Corporation corporator Veena Bhatia and Vajreshwari Council president Manisha Chaudharywere among the other leaders present.

Thane tops in election booths

At 5,595, Thane district will have the unique distinction of having the maximum number of polling booths among all districts in state in the forthcoming elections. A break-up of the number of polling booths in each of the 13 assembly consitunecies is as follows: Thane - 484; Belapur - 1,113; Ulhasnangar - 474; Ambernath - 500; Kalyan - 577; Murbad - 237; Wada 312; Bhiwandi - 471; Palghar -253; Jawhar - 266; Vasai - 393; Dahanu - 292 and Shahapur - 213.