The Shiv Sena literally switched to silent mode as party chief Bal Thackeray's daughter-in-law Smita Jaidev Thackeray said that she planned to join the Congress. Smita's son Rahul, meanwhile, said he had not been informed of her plans. According to an interview with the a prominent national daily, Smita has claimed that she is being sidelined by a coterie in Matoshree, the Sena chief's residence in Bandra East, and was being denied her due in the party. Expressing her frustration, Smita — the estranged wife of Thackeray's son Jaidev — has also said that she is feeling stifled and 'suffocated' in Matoshree. The 48-year-old Thacekray bahu is enamoured by the leadership qualities of Congress president Sonia Gandhi and her son Rahul, and says both of them are doing a great job of leading the country. Expressing her admiration for Sonia and Rahul as well as the Congress ideology, Smita said she plans to call on them and join the national ruling party soon. Mumbai Regional Congress Committee (MRCC) president Kripa Shankar Singh said there has been no formal indication from Smita Thackeray to join the Congress.