Dharamveer Nonia, 42, a Trinamul worker was shot dead and two others sustained bullet injuries when two factions of the ruling party allegedly clashed over wresting control of smuggled coal and sand in West Burdwan’s Andal on Wednesday night.

The two injured — Pannalal Nonia, 40, and Maheshram Nonia, 37 — were admitted to a private hospital in Durgapur. All the three run brickfields in Andal.

Sources said supporters of the two rival factions of the Trinamul Congress got involved in an argument over taking control of smuggled coal transport at Khash Kajora in Andal around 11pm on Wednesday.

“The argument snowballed into a clash with iron rods. Suddenly one of them opened fire at Dharamveer and the other two,” said a source.

As Dharamveer, who received three bullets in his head and chest, and his two associates slumped to the ground, the attackers fled on bikes.

Police reached the spot and sent the three of them to hospital. Dharamveer was declared dead on arrival by the doctors.

Sources said the two groups — one backed by Trinamul youth wing district president Rupesh Yadav and another one led by Vishnudeb Nonia member of the West Burdwan zilla parishad — are at loggerheads over control of illegal sand and coal trade.

Dharamveer and the two injured are close to Vishnudeb, while attackers are from the Rupesh Yadav faction.

The police said they arrested six persons, including the prime accused Bidyut Nonia, in connection with the case so far. Sources said Bidyut is close to Rupesh Yadav.

Sources said Vishnudeb’s faction was active and leading the illegal trade in the area since rural polls in 2018. However, after the recent change in the Trinamul district functioning committee, Yadav and his followers were trying to take control of the area.

“The supporters of Rupesh Yadav got a boost after he became Trinamul youth wing president recently. He is now trying to take control of the area,” said a Trinamul source.

Both Rupesh and Vishnudeb denied the charges.

“Two groups of criminals had clashed in which one person was killed and two were injured. The police are looking into the matter. It is not a political matter nor is the Trinamul involved in it,” said Rupesh and ruled out any factional feud. “We will not tolerate such law and order problems in our area. We are against illegal activities, including coal and sand smuggling,” Vishnudeb added

The BJP and the CPM held Trinamul responsible. “Ruling party factions are involved in fights over control of coal and sand smuggling here,” said Lakshman Ghorui, BJP president in West Burdwan. CPM district committee member Tufan Mandal echoed Ghorui.