Rank-and-file members of both major political parties in Victoria look set to be shut out of choosing their candidates for the upcoming federal election.

Heavyweight figures in the Liberal and Labor parties who want to preserve the status quo are moving to ensure preselections for Victorian seats in the House of Representatives and the Senate are not opened to votes by members.

Instead it looks increasingly likely that the Victorian Liberals’ powerful Administrative Committee and Labor’s National Executive will choose their party’s team to contest the state’s seats when Malcolm Turnbull takes the nation to the polls.

But the power players in both parties are facing internal opposition to their takeovers of the preselection process, with a dissident group in the Liberals looking to fight for party members’ right to vote for their own candidates.

Mr Shorten’s push to have Victorian preselections decided by the National Executive is unpopular in some sections of the party, but looks almost certain to go ahead with the backing of the dominant left and right factions.