The appointment of Bhupesh Aggarwal, a BJP leader from Patiala, as chairman of the Nabha Improvement Trust (NIT) has triggered a virtual revolt within the party fold here.

As the new appointee took over as the chairman, senior members of the Nabha unit resigned from the party in protest.

Objecting to the appointment of an “outsider”, a number of senior BJP leaders from the town tendered their resignations to BJP party president Rajnath Singh and Punjab unit president Rajinder Bhandari, for allegedly “ignoring” the local leaders.

Confirming the spate of resignations, Nabha BJP mandal Vice-President Rakesh Dudeja, who also resigned, said: “By appointing Aggarwal from Patiala, the local leadership of the party feels humiliated. At least 3 to 4 names had been forwarded for the post of chairman of the local body, but these were ignored and an outsider from Patiala was chosen instead.”

Dudeja, son of former chairman of the trust Madan Lal Dudeja, said this is the first time that an “outsider” has been chosen. “Locals know the needs of the area and can serve the residents well,” he added.

Among other BJP leaders from Nabha who have resigned in protest against Aggarwal’s appointment include Nabha BJP mandal president (urban) Vinod Kalra, mandal president (rural) Surinder Garg, Nabha Municipal Council senior vice-president Poonam Dudeja,

municipal councillors Surinder Bang, Sudershan Goyal, G S Bhatti and Raksha Rani, former MC president Sarup Singla, BJP’s district kisan wing president Randhir Singh Khangura, mandal secretary V K Jain, district BJP vice-president of Beopar Cell Ram Sharan Singla and BJP district local bodies cell Bhusha Garg, among others.