Factionalism in the BJP came to the fore on Monday as the replacement of the Hoshiarpur district chief triggered protests by a section of party leaders. The BJP replaced newly appointed district president Satish Bawa with Nitin Gupta ‘Nannu’ within just 15 days of his appointment.Bawa is considered close to former minister Tikshan Sud, while Nannu is seen as a supporter of former Union minister Vijay Sampla. In protest, Sud and his supporters announced at a press conference that they were resigning from all organisational posts while retaining their primary membership of the BJP.Sud alleged that the party leadership had ignored the views of local workers and senior leaders. Adding to the party’s embarrassment, senior BJP leader Sukhminderpal Singh Grewal on Jattvibeday resigned from the BJP’s primary membership after more than 34 years in the party.Grewal alleged that the culture of respecting sacrifice and rewarding committed workers had steadily eroded.