Is the Congress reluctant to open its doors to Smita Thackeray, who has fallen out with her father-in-law Shiv Sena chief Bal Thackeray? Or has she set her sights too high?

Though it has been over four months since she sent clear feelers to the grand old party, matters haven’t moved much. While Smita wants to be invited by no less than Congress president Sonia Gandhi, the party’s Maharashtra unit finds no reason for the leadership to indulge her.

State Congress leaders feel she is being over-ambitious and does not merit the prominence she seeks, a little birdie has it. They say she has the option of joining the party the way millions of others do – by filling up a membership form.