Factional feud in Birbhum’s Khoirasol has prompted Trinamul to opt for collective leadership instead of appointing a new block president in place of Dipak Ghosh, who was murdered a few days ago.

“We have decided not to appoint any block president in Khoriasol for now. We will form a nine-member committee headed by Bikash Roy Chowdhury, sabhadhipati of Birbhum zilla parishad, and the local party MLA Naresh Bauri as soon as possible,” Anubrata Mondal, district Trinamul chief, told The Telegraph.

The move in this dusty corner of Birbhum is significant primarily for two reasons, said a source.

First, it reveals the deep cracks within the party over spoils from illegal coal mining in an area bereft of any major employment opportunities for the youths. Second, such is the animosity among the various factions that there is a possibility that a new block president may also face an attempt on his life.

Khoirasol has remained a headache for the ruling party for the past five years as three block presidents were killed during the period and all the deaths were linked to internal feud over spoils from illegal coal mining.

Party insiders said that prior to Ghosh, who was attacked by some miscreants on October 21 and died next day, his elder brother Ashok Ghosh and his successor Ashok Mukherjee were killed in 2013 and 2014 respectively during their stint as block presidents.

Sources said fighting between two rival groups of the ruling party became a regular feature as control over the abandoned coalmines of the area is considered as the key to hold power in the area.

“There are two existing lobbies, one used to be led by the Ghosh family and the other group is led by a powerful ruling party leader Abdur Haque Kaderi. Two brothers of Kaderi are the prime accused in the Ghosh murder case,” said a source.

On Monday evening, Trinamul took out a rally in Khoirasol followed by a street-corner rally to pay respect to Ghosh. The local leaders demanded arrest of all accused.

A Trinamul leader in the area said that the party considered appointing a new block president in this backdrop is risky. “We cannot take risk of losing another leader ahead of the crucial Lok Sabha polls,” he said.

A district official said that the major trouble over the law and order situation in the area takes place due the fight between ruling party factions over the control of abandoned coalmines of Eastern Coalfield Limited (ECL) where illegal coal mining is taking place despite repeated warning by the chief minister. There are at least 200 places in the block where rat holes are dug to mine coal.

“The illegal coal mining usually starts from October after the monsoon is over. Fights over the control of illegal mines starts in end of September or early October,” the official said.