Gladys Berejiklian’s government in New South Wales is on track to lose its parliamentary majority at the March state election, according to two new polls that suggest voters are set to punish the NSW Liberals for the disunity of their federal counterparts.

A week after the Victorian Liberals suffered a massive loss at the state election, a poll in the Sydney Morning Herald put NSW Labor ahead 51%-49% on two-party terms, while a survey published by the Daily Telegraph also had Michael Daley’s party ahead, by 52%-48%.

As the Liberal federal executive endorsed Dave Sharma to run again for the federal seat of Wentworth on Friday night, the poor state polling was widely viewed as stemming from divisions within the federal Liberals.

The prime minister, Scott Morrison, who had urged the party to preselect a woman before the October byelection, welcomed Sharma’s endorsement on Saturday.

“Dave Sharma is an outstanding Liberal who has already got things done for the people of Wentworth, and would do even more as part of our government,” he said in a tweet.

Sharma lost to the independent Kerryn Phelps on preferences in Malcolm Turnbull’s former seat, amid a 19% swing against the Liberals. The loss put the Morrison government into minority.

Before he was again tapped for Wentworth, it was briefly speculated that the former diplomat would challenge Tony Abbott for Liberal preselection in the seat of Warringah. Both denied the reports.

On Saturday, Sharma acknowledged the issues faced by the party and that many voters were dissatisfied.

“I would say to those people: get involved, help rebuild the party, select the candidates you want to see in parliament, get involved in the policy debates,” he said. “Don’t desert the party.”

In another blow for Berejiklian, the Herald poll put Daley ahead as preferred premier, with 54% of voters opting for the new Labor leader. Berejiklian was narrowly ahead of Daley, 33%-31%, according to the Telegraph’s Galaxy poll.

Labor was polling 34% on the primary vote, just behind the Coalition at 36.5%, the Herald reported. The Liberals currently have a six seat majority.

Both surveys picked up significant frustration at the chaos in Canberra. Half of those surveyed told the Herald’s UComms/ReachTel pollsters that the Morrison government’s woes would affect their vote.

Separately, the Telegraph’s poll found that 33% of the respondents would be less likely to vote for the state Coalition as a result of the federal government’s performance.

Voters were polled after the Liberal MP Julia Banks quit the Coalition for the crossbench, hitting out at the party’s right, and as internal divisions spilled out into the public following the Victorian Liberals’ humiliating loss.

The Liberals have consistently led Labor in the polls for NSW since Berejiklian became premier in January 2017. But at a September byelection, they surrendered the seat of Wagga Wagga, suffering a 30% swing.

Last month, NSW Labor was thrown into disarray as Foley faced allegations he put his hand down the underpants of an ABC journalist at an event in 2017. He has denied the claims.