Tony Abbott's Liberal Party conservative faction is portraying manoeuvring to choose a candidate for former NSW premier Mike Baird's seat as the first stage of an attempt to remove the ex-prime minister from Parliament.

Members of Mr Abbott's right-wing faction have been briefing journalists that a successful attempt to install a candidate for the seat of Manly from the opposing "moderate" faction could trigger broader internal conflict – a sign of how the deep internal differences in the Liberal Party's most factionalised division are seeping into the public domain.

"If they [the Left] win preselection it will blow open the party and start a factional war," said one of Mr Abbott's allies.

Conservative Liberals say there is a left-wing campaign to take the last of the federal seats on Sydney's North Shore held by a right winger, Warringah, which is centred on the beachside suburb of Manly and held by Tony Abbott since 1994. Simon Alekna

Mr Abbott's campaign manager, Walter Villatora, hopes to be selected as the Liberal candidate during voting on March 13-15. He is opposed by James Griffin, a 30-year-old social media expert at KPMG, and an estimated seven or eight others. Nominations close Monday.

Mr Griffin denies he is a factional candidate. Members of the right say he is part of a left-wing campaign to take the last of the federal seats on Sydney's North Shore held by a right winger, Warringah, which is centred on the beachside suburb of Manly and held by Mr Abbott since 1994.