New Delhi, Mar 21 (IANS): The row in the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Rajya Sabha nominations erupted Tuesday as senior leader Yashwant Sinha slammed the decision not to field a BJP member from Jharkhand.

The decision to back Anshuman Mishra, an NRI who has been principal secretary to former prime minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee, as an independent for the seat, has upset several leaders.

The issue was raised at a meeting of its parliamentary party Tuesday.

According to party sources, party leader L.K. Advani has called a meeting of party leaders and is likely to ask BJP legislators in Jharkhand not to vote for Mishra.

The BJP has 18 members in the Jharkhand assembly.

Expressing his dissent, Sinha said "money power" was taking over the Rajya Sabha polls.

"A worker should have been nominated. MLAs should not be put on the auction block to the highest bidder. (L.K.) Advaniji has assured he would talk to party president. Outsiders should not be given ticket," he told reporters here.

"BJP MLAs have signed nomination papers of A. Mishra. I'm pained by this," he said.

According to the sources, BJP leaders Sushma Swaraj, Advani and Murli Manohar Joshi are also opposed to Mishra. "Mishra belongs to neither BJP nor Jharkhand," Sinha said.

BJP leader S.S. Ahluwalia, a member from Jharkhand who is retiring April 2, was not re-nominated.

Evading any direct comment, Ahluwalia told reporters that Advani had promised to talk to party president Nitin Gadkari.

According to sources, Mishra has the backing of Gadkari.