A group of disgruntled London Tories has met a drop-dead deadline to tell Ontario Tory Leader Tim Hudak to drop dead.

Bill and Diane Litowski are among 10 party members pushing to change the Progressive Conservative constitution to allow a leadership vote at the party’s policy convention in London next month.

Hudak’s inner circle and caucus supporters were in full damage control Tuesday, as the second petition surfaced in four days calling for his head at next month’s convention.

“The all-hands-on-deck call to stop the dump-the-leader movement is there,” said a source close to key Tory insiders.

“I think Hudak has to look in the mirror long and hard and say, ‘Is this ever going to be a reality?’ and, if it’s not, do it now.”

The ouster attempt follows last week’s Ontario byelections, in which Hudak’s Conservatives picked off only one of five vacant Liberal seats and ran second to the NDP in London West, a riding polls had suggested the PCs could snatch.

The 10 disgruntled Tories are part of a grassroots movement, based in the London area, ­seeking to dump Hudak — but they weren’t talking Tuesday.

A similar amendment to the constitution was submitted late last week, but withdrawn.

Under party rules, today is the deadline for any proposed business at next month’s convention.

The Litowskis are among the signatories on the just-proposed amendment, party spokesperson Alan Sakach confirmed Tuesday.

Tories upset at Hudak’s leadership and byelections showing have produced “hundreds of people looking for a leadership review,” said a party insider in London. “Very few think he is a good leader,” said another longtime Tory, who also didn’t want to be named.

“Tim has not proven to be the right fit.”

But Monte McNaughton, Conservative MPP for Lambton-Kent-Middlesex, takes issue with those seeking a new leader.

“I am quite excited about the future under Tim Hudak,” he said. “I think under him, the PCs have momentum.”

McNaughton noted in the last election in 2011, Hudak’s first at the party helm, the Tories gained 12 seats and in last week’s byelections picked up their first Toronto-area seat in more than a decade, won by former Toronto deputy mayor Doug Holyday in Etobicoke-Lakeshore.

“We weren’t expecting to win any of them,” McNaughton said of the byelections.

“I would predict we are going to have an election this fall,” said McNaughton, who remains solidly behind Hudak.

But Bob Wood, a former Harris-era London Tory from 1995 to 2003, doesn’t share McNaughton’s enthusiasm.

“Clearly, the results of the byelections were not satisfactory and there is widespread concern about that within the party throughout the province,” said Wood. He said he considers the proposed change to allow a leadership review a good idea.

“If this materializes the way it appears to be, there may be a good case for having a vote and letting people have their say on it,” he said.

An informed insider pushing for a review said the question is one of timing.

“Do we have a replacement? That is the issue,” he said. He pointed to MPPs Vic Fedeli, Peter Shurman, Lisa McLeod and newcomer Holyday as potential Hudak replacements.

Reflecting the divisiveness of Hudak in London, yet another organizer dismissed the replacement talk.

“Yes, there is some discontent due to the results in the last byelection,” he conceded, “but I personally believe that discontent is misplaced.”

“Tim Hudak should be the leader in the next general election — there is no doubt in my mind,” he said.

MPP Frank Klees, who ran second to Hudak in the 2009 Tory leadership race, said one option available to the leader is to pre-empt the petitions and to voluntarily direct and “welcome” a confidence vote at the convention.

“If he does that, it would be a very powerful signal to the party . . . . and would silence a lot of naysayers,” he said.

Sources say Hudak and his inner circle regularly beat their chests in caucus, trumpeting how they’re advancing on the Liberals, how they have the momentum and how it is only a matter of time before they defeat Wynne’s government.

Much of the problem, insiders say, is that Hudak continues to surround himself with relics from the Mike Harris era, including Harris himself, Leslie Noble, Tom Long and his wife Deb ­Hutton and this “kitchen cabinet” still thinks they’re operating as if it were the mid- to late-1990s.

Several party members were angered and insulted by a letter sent out last Friday — under the signature of deputy party leader Christine Elliott — claiming the party “made huge gains across the province” in last Thursday’s byelections.

While the Conservatives won their long sought-after seat in Toronto, they lost to the New Democrats in London West and to the ­Liberal machine in Ottawa South.

“Clearly, the people of Ontario are rejecting Kathleen Wynne’s vision for Ontario. They know

it’s time for change,” the letter said.

Under existing party rules, a leadership review is automatic after a general election if the party fails to form the government.

After the 2011 election, which the Liberals won by finishing one seat shy of a majority, Hudak won a 78.7% approval rating.

chip.martin@sunmedia.ca

twitter.com/ChipatLFPress.com

With files by Sue-Ann Levy, QMI Agency

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WHAT THEY SAID

I am quite excited about the future under Tim Hudak.

MPP Monte McNaughton (PC – Lambton-Kent-Middlesex)

It appears to be there may be a good case for having a (leadership) vote and letting people have their say on it.

Bob Wood, former London South Conservative MPP

THE CONVENTION