Resentment is brewing in the Maharashtra unit of the Congress amid reports that the party's central leadership is planning to field union commerce minister Anand Sharma from the state for next month's Rajya Sabha elections.

Though no top leader or party functionary has gone on record to oppose such a move, sources in the Congress on condition of anonymity said the rank and file disfavour RS nomination to Sharma from the state.

"They (the outsiders) neither respect the partymen from the state nor assimilate themselves with the local sentiments," a party official told PTI stating that experience of having outsiders as MPs from the state has not been good.

"If Sharma cannot be elected from Himachal Pradesh, he can be moved to neighbouring Haryana or Rajasthan. Why here? Should Maharashtra be turned into a dumping ground for those who cannot get elected from their home states?" he said.

Sources said parties like Shiv Sena and MNS, who have always sought to make political mileage out of the issue of Marathi pride, would try to exploint the situation in the upcoming elections to the Legislative Council.

Citing the example of MoS for environment and forests Jairam Ramesh whose Rajya Sabha nomination has been opposed in Andhra Pradesh, the state which he represents, sources said such resentment stems from the fact that MPs from outside do not keep in touch the party units in states which send them to the Rajya Sabha.