Bhangar, April 30: Aides of Abdur Rezzak Mollah, Trinamul's Bhangar candidate, today alleged sabotage by party colleague Arabul Islam after two of them were assaulted this morning at Narkelberia in South 24-Parganas.

Arabul, who has a long history of rivalry with Rezzak Mollah, has denied any hand in the attack.

Around 9.30am, a group of youths attacked Trinamul supporters near a polling booth at Satulia Primary School and chased them with firearms and bamboo sticks.

Four Trinamul supporters were injured in the attack. Of them, two - Nazrul Mollah and Shantu Mollah - suffered head injuries.

"Those who attacked us were Arabul's men.... They have now moved to the CPM," Nazrul said.

Nazrul said he and others were hit with the revolver butt on their heads. "Some of us had jumped into a pond. They dragged us out and then beat us up," Shantu said.

Rezzak Mollah, who has courted controversy several times in his long political career for speaking out of turn, tried to play it safe first and blamed the security forces for the attack.

"Possibly, the central forces and police have assaulted them," Mollah said when asked about the attack.

When told that the victims had accused Arabul, he said: "You have heard.... What can I say?"

The animosity between Rezzak Mollah and Arabul dates back to the years when the now Trinamul candidate was a CPM leader and minister in the Left Front government.

Arabul was then trying to break fresh ground in the Bhangar area, bordering North and South 24-Parganas.

Arabul was one of the main accused in an assault on Rezzak Mollah and was arrested.

With the decline of the Left in the district, Arabul emerged as the Bhangar strongman. His clout and muscle power helped Trinamul win successive elections there.

In the last Lok Sabha elections, Arabul secured a lead of 63,000-plus votes from Bhangar for Trinamul's Jadavpur candidate Sugata Bose.

Trinamul insiders said Arabul had been eyeing the Bhangar seat.

But Rezzak Mollah joined Trinamul days before Bengal went to polls and Mamata Banerjee instructed all the party leaders in Bhangar to ensure his victory.

According to Trinamul sources, during the poll campaign Mollah had informed people close to him that Arabul was not cooperating.

This morning after voting, Arabul went to the office of an under-construction building and spent the day in the air-conditioned chamber in the Bhojerhat area.

"None of my men were in Narkelberia. The allegations are baseless," Arabul said, when asked about the attack on Rezzak Mollah's men.

Sources in Trinamul said Arabul had fielded one of his close aides Abdus Salam Mollah as an Independent.

When asked why Arabul was keeping away from the poll process, Rezzak Mollah said: "He is no more a factor in Bhangar.... He is a tractor now.... If anybody goes against the party line, the party will take action."