John Barilaro, left, and Andrew Constance

NSW Transport Minister Andrew Constance has become the second high-profile Coalition candidate to quit the Eden-Monaro by-election and attack his own party in three days, citing white-anting from colleagues for his decision to withdraw.

Liberal insiders said Mr Constance’s shock decision to pull out, just 24 hours after announcing his candidacy, left local cattle farmer Fiona Kotvojs as the frontrunner to try to reclaim the prized seat from Labor.

The Nationals are still deciding whether to field a candidate after NSW Deputy Premier John Barilaro announced he would not run and launched an extraordinary broadside at his party’s federal leader, Michael McCormack.

Mr Barilaro’s attack — he accused Mr McCormack of lacking support — did not stop Nationals federal deputy leader David Littleproud from declaring the party would “love to have him” contest the seat.

Sophie Wade, the Nationals’ Eden-Monaro candidate at last year’s election, said local branches wanted Mr Barilaro to run.

“We are working through a pretty complex situation but our hearts and minds are fully behind John Barilaro,” Ms Wade told The Australian. “He has the full support of the Nationals members of Eden-Monaro on the ground.”

Senior Liberals expect the Eden-Monaro by-election to be held at the end of June or early in July, depending on what advice the Speaker, Tony Smith, receives from the Australian Electoral Commission.

Mr Constance claimed The Daily Telegraph’s Wednesday front page, in which his friend Mr Barilaro was reported to have used an expletive to describe him, was the sole reason he pulled out.

“If you get called that on the front page of the paper heading into a neck-and-neck by-election, how can you bring about the unity and clarity to be able to deliver that,” Mr Constance said from his NSW south coast home town of Malua Bay.

“That type of white-anting doesn’t just stop at that front page, it just goes on and on.”

Mr Constance, who gained a national profile after his home nearly burned down in this year’s bushfires, said he had forgiven Mr Barilaro for his comments and knew his friend “didn’t mean it”.

He acknowledged Labor would use the divisions to its advantage and was critical of people who had questioned his mental health in the wake of the bushfires.

Federal Liberal sources told The Australian Mr Constance was laughing about the Telegraph story when it was first posted online and voiced no concerns or anxieties about its contents.

Liberal sources said Mr Constance had realised he did not have the support of the local branches, which were said to be strong-minded and independent.

Some MPs believed his pullout had not harmed their chances of taking the seat, putting it at a 50-50 possibility with a local candidate such as Dr Kotvojs.

There was also internal anger that Scott Morrison’s ally Alex Hawke had been calling around to ensure Mr Constance would have no trouble being endorsed as the party’s star candidate. Mr Hawke declined to comment.

NSW senator Jim Molan also confirmed on Wednesday he would not make a tilt.

Former prime minister Tony Abbott described social media reports that he might run in Eden-Monaro, where he fought bushfires for several weeks over summer, as “absolute rubbish”.

Liberals said the polling undertaken by the Nationals and Liberal parties before the public clashes between Mr Barilaro and Mr Constance showed there was a chance the Coalition could win.

Both parties said the Liberal polling was more authoritative and suggested the Liberals had a better chance of winning.

The preselection is due to be held on May 22.

ADDITIONAL REPORTING: DEBORAH CORNWALL,

GREG BROWN

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Emotional Constance quits Eden-Monaro by-election after mate hits below belt