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The re-election of Sydney's most controversial deputy mayor, Salim Mehajer, has triggered a brawl inside the Labor Party, including renewed calls for an inquiry into Auburn City Council.
Hicham Zraika, who was quietly readmitted to the party last month following a six-month suspension over allegations of branch stacking, is now facing a push for his expulsion after his "betrayal" of a deal that would have blocked Cr Mehajer's re-election.
Cr Zraika voted for an agreed mayoral candidate but abruptly left the room just before the deputy vote, where he was expected to back Labor's George Campbell.
The independent councillor's name was then drawn out of a hat ahead of Cr Campbell's after the two councillors tied with four votes each, after the Liberal Party's Steve Yang abstained.
The result prompted Cr Campbell to accuse Cr Zraika of sabotage, telling Fairfax Media he would write to the party calling for Cr Zraika's expulsion for failing to honour a signed agreement and to vote for his fellow Labor candidate.
"His reasons for assisting Salim Mehajer need to be explored as part of a broader inquiry into the culture on Auburn Council," Cr Campbell said.
"There must have been something very big on the other side of the scales to justify him risking expulsion from the party and an end to his political career."
The election comes just a week after a group of councillors, including Cr Mehajer, voted in favour of planning changes in Berala that permit significant height increases at Cr Zraika's two properties, "reaping him a potential bonanza", Cr Campbell said.
But Cr Zraika, who did not participate in the Berala decision, rejected any connection between the election and the rezoning as "totally false and misleading", adding that he just could not bring himself to vote for Cr Campbell.
"I have stuck to the agreement until now, but when it came to Cr Campbell, I couldn't see myself voting for him to a leadership position because he has been running a negative campaign against the council in general, despite its good work over the years."
Cr Zraika said he was "being targeted unfairly because I'm being progressive", along with five other councillors including Cr Mehajer.
"Like-minded people vote on issues that [Cr Campbell] dislikes. And it's as simple as that," he said.
Cr Mehajer said "whether Councillor Zraika voted for or against me" his decisions were not driven by "any hidden 'council agenda'".
"The decisions are made based on community feedback and our professional interpretations as to what we feel will benefit the community, both for the present and the future," Cr Mehajer said.
But independent councillor Irene Simms, who noted the overwhelming majority of public submissions opposed the Berala rezoning, said she was "horrified" with the election result, describing Cr Mehajer as "Mr Teflon".
"I think this is a slap in the face to the authority and a slap in the face to the community that he was even nominated," she said. "I think this will ultimately lead to the dismissal of this council."
Cr Mehajer hit the headlines last month after his lavish wedding blocked off a Lidcombe street with a fleet of luxury sports cars, a procession of bikers, a troupe of drummers and four helicopters.
The ensuing scrutiny of the 29-year-old property developer and his business interests prompted the state government to announce it would scrap controversial laws that allow councillors to vote on planning controls from which they potentially stand to benefit.
Cr Semra Batik-Dundar, who was backed by Cr Zraika for mayor, said she was disappointed to miss out on the position to independent Le Lam but thought it was a fair vote.
She said she was "shocked" that Cr Mehajer was a candidate for deputy mayor "after everything that has happened".
"I am sure there are going to be a lot of people in the community will be upset with that."
But Cr Mehajer said the criticism had not only made him a stronger person, "but a better leader to my beloved public".
"It has inspired me to strive harder for my community," he said.
NSW Labor head office and the Member for Auburn, opposition leader Luke Foley, declined to comment about events at the council.
However, Mr Foley reiterated his opposition to developers sitting on councils and "horse-trading between parties to decide who becomes mayor", advocating instead for popularly elected mayors with four-year terms.
