Is former Congress MP Priya Dutt set to join the Shiv Sena? She is believed to have written a three-page letter to Congress VP Rahul Gandhi on the lines of Gurudas Kamat. Kamat, a former Union minister and veteran Congress leader from Mumbai, resigned from the party Monday and announced his retirement from politics.

Priya Dutt commands the goodwill and respect that her father and Congress ex-MP, the late Sunil Dutt, had and had been elected to the Lok Sabha for two terms. Dutt Sr, incidentally, had excellent relations with the Shiv Sena founder Bal Thackeray.

Rumours are rife that Priya Dutt is planning to resign from the Congress and join the Shiv Sena after reports said she had met Shiv Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray twice in the past few days.

However, according to a report in the Free Press Journal, Dutt has rebutted the speculation saying, "Im a loyal member of the Indian National Congress and will not join the Shiv Sena ever.

"I met Thackeray twice regarding the anniversary of Nargis Dutt foundation as we wanted his photographs to be included in the exhibition. My meetings were in that regard."

But Shiv Sena loyalists have told the FPJ that Dutt has been aspiring for a Rajya Sabha ticket and her meeting with Uddhav was in this regard.

A senior Congress leader told Rediff.com that after the Rajya Sabha polls, there were problems in the All India Congress Committee.