The election of Chhaya Verma as Rajya Sabha MP on a Congress ticket from Chhattisgarh has come as a surprise to most camps in the party. While demands were made that someone from the state should replace the outgoing "outsider" MP Mohsina Kidwai, few had given any thought to Verma, a little-known name even in capital Raipur. Her election, though, should heal old wounds. Two years ago, Verma, notwithstanding mighty contenders, got a ticket to contest the Lok Sabha elections from the prestigious seat of Raipur. However, veteran leader Satyanarayan Sharma soon replaced her as the party candidate.