Bal Thackeray's daughter-in-law Smita Thackarey,is upset with Shiv sena and has given indications that she is keeping her options open including joining Congress. "She is not involved in power struggle. She wants to move forward in politics. But there was no good response from Shiv sena to her desire. It is not that she has left the Shiv sena,but her options are open," her son Rahul Thackeray told reporters at their residence. He was replying to questions on media reports that Smita,estranged wife of Jaydev Thackeray,was all set to join Congress,whose leaders Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi she has praised. She is also said to be unhappy with the parochial politics of the Shiv sena as also Maharashtra Navnirman Sena floated by Raj Thackeray. Rahul said that his mother was out of town and has asked him to meet the media on her behalf but he was not in a position to reply to all the questions. He said that his mother has all the respect for the Shiv Sena supremo and has not said anything against him. Asked whether she was joining Congress,he said that it was not that she had left the Shiv Sena,"but her options are open". While the Maharashtra Congress spokesman Hussein Dalwai said she was set to join the Congress,AICC spokesman,Abhishek Singhvi said such issues are to be considered by party's decision making bodies. "My mother is not unhappy with Thackarey,who is not only her father-in-law,but a father figure to her. She has all the respect and faith in him. She does not intend to hurt him in any situation",Rahul said. "As of now she needs to be level-headed,so does everyone else..She will answer all your queries when she returns. What her views are will be clarified by her",he said. He,however,declined to answer a volley of questions from reporters saying he was "not at liberty" to say anything more than what his mother has told him. Smita was a power centre in the Shiv Sena over a decade ago when Uddhav had not formally joined the organisation and was known to be one of the closest associates of the Shiv Sena chief.
