New Delhi, May 31 (IANS): After the Congress denied nomination to some hopeful veterans for the Rajya Sabha polls, sources said that Sonia Gandhi has reached out to Ghulam Nabi Azad.

The sources said that she spoke to Azad on Sunday evening over the phone. However, the details were not made public. The move indicates that she wants to douse the fire and cull any discontent.

Azad was one of the prime movers of the G-23 and one of the vocal voices within the party over reforms.

Another veteran hopeful, Anand Sharma has also been denied the Rajya Sabha nomination.

Tension simmering in the party units in Chhattisgarh and Rajasthan over outsiders being nominated from the Upper House. The party leaders are questioning the move, but the Chief Ministers have not said anything against the party's choice of candidates. Both states will go to polls next year.

The names of Congress veteran leaders like Ghulam Nabi Azad, Anand Sharma and Veerappa Moily did not figure in the Rajya Sabha candidate's list, and the trio were hopeful to be nominated, but it was the loyalists who got the tickets.

The loyalists include mostly the GenNext leaders, but Mukul Wasnik and P. Chidambaram did find a place. This has led to discontent within the party and even many in the young brigade too are upset.

Party spokesperson Pawan Khera, who was hopeful from Rajasthan, tweeted, "There may be shortcomings in my penance." Reacting to his tweet, Nagma, a former actress, who has been in the party since long replied, "my 18 years of work fell short of Imran Bhai."

Hinting her discomfort, Nagma said, "SoniaJi our Congress president had personally committed to accommodating me in RS in 2003/04 whn I joined Congressparty on her behest we weren't in power thn.Since then it's been 18Yrs they dint find an opportunity Mr Imran is accommodated in RS frm Maha I ask am I less deserving".

Another leader Jitendra Baghel asked how many SC/ST/OBC were nominated. Mukul Wasnik is from the SC community, but the hopes of Kumari Selja and P.L. Punia were also dashed after the list came in public.