Ever since Bollywood's embattled star Sanjay Dutt casually remarked to the media that he would like to contest Lok Sabha elections due next year, speculation is rife in the tinsel town, as well as in political circles, about his political ambitions.

As earlier reported, the buzz about his joining the Samajwadi Party spread after state unit president Abu Asim Azmi told the media that the party would give him a ticket to fight the election if he decides to join them.

Azmi said this after the party's national general secretary Amar Singh called on Sanjay Dutt and wife Manyata at their residence in Mumbai last week.

But Sanjay himself has not yet specified which political party he might seek membership to, if at all he does, or how soon.

Whichever party Sanjay chooses to join, he would prefer to be fielded in his father, Sunil Dutt's Mumbai northwest parliamentary constituency - now nurtured by his sister Priya Dutt, also as a Congress MP.

But some resident associations of the constituency announced Sunday they would vehemently oppose his candidature for the Lok Sabha elections.

'We will write to all political parties not to give him a ticket, ' president of the Khar Residents' Association Anandini Thakoor is reported to have remarked.

Some disgruntled elements in the Congress circles also added grist to the rumour mill by telling the media that Congress would be happy to field Sanjay from the Mumbai northwest constituency if he formally joined the party.

But the fact is that Dutt himself has not added anything to what he cursorily remarked earlier about his political ambition.

A well-isher of the family and renowned filmmaker said: 'At this stage of his Bollywood career when he is riding on the crest of success, it would be suicidal if he makes additional career out of politics.'

'Besides, there are also reports that he is going to launch his own production house. Will he be able to handle so many responsibilities together? And this is not counting his dates with the courts as he is still not exonerated by the Supreme Court in the 1993 bomb blasts cases.'