Members of rival syndicates in New Town, both backed by the Trinamul Congress, fought on Monday morning over supply of construction materials to a State Bank of India project site.

The clash has once again highlighted the fight raging within the ruling party over the share of spoils from the booming construction business in the Rajarhat township and adjoining areas.

Trinamul sources said the rival groups are led by New Town MLA Sabyasachi Dutta and Barasat MP Kakoli Ghosh Dastidar.

"The groups led by Sabyasachi and Kakoli are known to be at loggerheads in the syndicate business related to the supply of construction materials in the area," a Trinamul source said.

The MLA denied any hand in the clash, while the MP's cell phone kept ringing when Metro tried to contact her.

"Let me clarify, I do not run any syndicate. Yes, I heard there was some trouble this morning. I have requested the police to ensure that the peace in the area is not disturbed," Sabyasachi said.

Monday's clash occurred at a site in Action Area II where the SBI is setting up a training centre across 10 acres.

The site portrays a picture of contrast in a township where most commercial and residential projects have either halted or gone on a slo-mo mode because of a sluggish demand. "The project is generating a demand of around 600 lorries of construction materials every month, and is attracting syndicates even from outside New Town," said a source involved in the project.

Trinamul sources said the Sabyasachi-led syndicate had been eyeing the SBI project, where the rival camp has been supplying materials, for some time. On Saturday, some syndicate members met those involved in the project and demanded that they be allowed to supply construction materials to the site.

"SBI's is the only project in the Laskarhati region (where the training centre is coming up) that is going on full steam. On Saturday, our head Bahar Ali Molla and Mahadev Sardar went to meet those involved in the project to tell them that we would be supplying materials to the site. The officials agreed," a syndicate member said on Monday afternoon.

"We do not want the project to be delayed by any syndicate-related issue. So we agreed to their demand," an official working at the site said.

But news of the new arrangement did not go down well with the rival syndicate, led by Aftab Mondal, the president of the Trinamul Youth Congress in New Town, and Jahanara Bibi, the party's zilla parisahd member. The duo are said to be close to Barasat MP Kakoli Ghosh Dastidar.

Witnesses said close to 300 men on motorcycles and in SUVs, allegedly led by Aftab, assembled at the Laskarhati market on Monday morning. Around 10am, when members of the rival gang queued up to collect order slips for supplying building materials, Aftab and his men allegedly attacked them with lathis and hurled bricks at them.

"The entire area turned into a battlefield. Construction labourers fled the place and shops downed shutters. The assault continued for over 20 minutes, till the members of the other syndicate fled," said a guard who witnessed the violence.

Bahar Ali Molla's younger brother Sabir alleged that police played a partisan role due to which they could not resist the attack by the rival syndicate.

"The police reached the spot within minutes because they seemed to have prior information. Instead of playing fair they joined Aftab and his gang in beating us and chasing us away," said Sabir.

Officers of the New Town said that since the troubled spot is around one kilometre from the police station, they could reach there immediately.

"We have arrested Tutul Gazi and Mahadev Sardar who were involved in the clash. We are looking for some more people involved in the clash," said an officer of New Town police station.

The clash has come in less than a week of a bike gang backed by Trinamul MLA Sabyasachi Dutta assaulting two guards of a New Town hotel after one of them misled him about the way to a venue where he was to attend a programme.

Dutta's supporters had alleged that it was a "pre-planned" move by the faction owing allegiance to Barasat MP Kakoli Ghosh Dastidar.

"First of all let me clarify that I do not run any syndicate. Yes, I heard that there was some trouble in Laskarhati today morning. I have requested the police to ensure that the peace in the area is not disturbed," said Sabyasachi Dutta.

Though Kakoli's phone kept ringing, Jahanara Bibi, blamed Sabyasachi for Monday's clash.

"In our area we do not have any syndicates. For years local people have made small companies and supplied materials to companies. Some people with the backing of Sabyasachi are trying to secure the entire business. We will not allow this," said Jahanara.

The strife between the two leaders has often spilled out on the streets in the form of clashes.

In August last year, Prahlad Mondal, who is known to be a close associate of Sabyasachi Dutta, was shot at while returning from a party meeting. Trinamul leaders in the township had alleged that supporters of Kakoli Ghosh Dastidar carried out the attack.