Conservative floor-crosser Eve Adams will attempt to start her new political life in the Toronto riding of Eglinton—Lawrence even as her defection to the Liberal party is being denounced as “bizarre” and a “mess.”

Adams was forced to accept the mid-town Toronto riding because the Liberals are saving two other open city seats for big-name candidates, sources told the Star.

Scarborough Southwest is being held for a possible political bid by Toronto Police Chief Bill Blair and Davenport is being reserved for another prominent Torontonian, sources say.

Blair has repeatedly declined to comment on his plans after his term as chief ends in April, but has indicated he hopes to continue to serve the public in some way.

‎”He is chief of police until the end of his contract and he will not speculate on what the future may hold until that time,” said Toronto Police’s Meaghan Gray.

New Democrat MPs Dan Harris and Andrew Cash currently hold, respectively, Scarborough Southwest and Davenport.

Two days after her bombshell move from the Conservatives, Adams, MP for Mississauga—Brampton South, confirmed Wednesday she intends to seek the Liberal nomination in Eglinton—Lawrence.

She has enlisted the help of top operative Tom Allison, who steered Kathleen Wynne’s successful 2013 bid for the Ontario Liberal leadership and quarterbacked John Tory’s winning mayoralty campaign last October.

If she secures the Liberal nod, it would set up a showdown against Finance Minister Joe Oliver in the federal election to be held on or before Oct. 19.

“It’s critical to reach out and take back riding after riding that has now gone Conservative and bring them back into the red fold,” Adams told CP24.

“It’s going to take hard work at the local riding level. That’s how we’re going to form government again.”

Her work will start with winning over members of her new team. Liberals are skeptical about both her departure from the Conservatives — which she fled after being shut out by that party — and her attempt to switch from a suburban seat to one in Toronto.

Mike Colle, long-time Liberal MPP for the riding, blasted the move and questioned what Liberals were thinking when they accepted Adams’ overtures to cross the floor.

“This isn’t going down very well,” said Colle, adding there is “universal condemnation” from Grits in his riding.

He said his phone was “ringing off the hook” from party stalwarts unhappy with the “bizarre” political manoeuvre.

“They saying, ‘How is this possible? Where did she come from? Why did they so readily embrace this person who was a loyal Tory,’ ” Colle said Wednesday.

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“She’s never showed any empathy for anything the Liberals are fighting for,” he said. “If you’re going to have an alternative to Oliver and the Tories, is this really a good contrast?”

Even Liberal Leader Justin Trudeau, who celebrated her defection on Monday, conceded she’s got a big job ahead to win over local party stalwarts.

“One of the things that we agreed is that she’s going to have to convince an awful lot of Liberals and local folks that she is the best voice for them . . . and then she’s going to take on someone who is a pillar of the Conservative party to demonstrate her strength and her value as a politician,” Trudeau told Winnipeg radio station CJOB on Wednesday.

Sources say the Liberals welcomed Adams into the fold despite being aware she had been told by Conservative president John Walsh on Jan. 29 that she “would not be permitted to run for our party in the next election due to the misconduct from the Oakville North—Burlington nomination race.”

“It’s a total mess,” said one Liberal privy to the machinations.

Adams could face some tough competition for the Eglinton—Lawrence nomination from lawyer Marco Mendicino, a Colle ally who has been campaigning for months.

But Adams appeared undaunted as she launched her effort to reinvent herself as a Grit after two decades of serving as a Conservative volunteer, political staffer and then MP.

“I’ve received a great deal of local support and there’s a great deal of enthusiasm there. It’s going to come down to meeting with people and winning them over,” she said, adding she intends to move to the riding.

Liberal officials insisted she’ll get no special treatment and faces the same vetting as other candidates. But there are questions whether Liberal brass can let her fail, given her high-profile welcome into the party.

Oliver shrugged off his possible opponent.

“Ms. Adams should have taken into account the admonition of Groucho Marx, which is that ‘I wouldn’t join a club that would have me as a member,’” said Oliver, who was attending a meeting of G20 finance ministers in Istanbul.

“The important point of course is that the people of Eglinton—Lawrence will make a determination, and I trust their collective judgment,” he said.

Adams’ bid to run for the Conservatives in Oakville North—Burlington was blocked by the party after allegations of dirty tricks. The Conservative party quietly informed Adams two weeks ago she would not be allowed to run anywhere under the Conservative banner, forcing her to look elsewhere to keep her federal career alive.

With files from The Canadian Press

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