Andrew Hastie reportedly down to almost a handful of votes to take over as Liberal Party leader

Andrew Hastie is gathering the support of disenchanted Liberals with the West Australian MP reportedly preparing to launch a challenge to party leader Sussan Ley.

According to senior party sources, Hastie has been working the phone since returning home from Canberra late last week and is in a tight battle with Angus Taylor — seen as the other main contender to replace Ley.

It’s understood the West Australian already has the backing of more than 20 MPs to become leader, and could snatch the Opposition’s top job with just six more votes.

He has repeatedly declined to comment on his leadership ambitions in recent days, a stance that didn’t waver when he was approached by 7 News during a morning run on Sunday.

“I just don’t want to talk about party matters to the media, it’s just not what we do,” Mr Hastie said.

When asked about speculation that he had the numbers to support a successful leadership challenge, he said: “There are a lot of suggestions out there.

“I’m not going to comment on the leadership, I want to keep my thoughts private.”

Liberal leadership rumblings have escalated in the days since the Coalition split - for the second time since last year’s Federal election.

The two parties went their separate ways last week after Ms Ley accepted the resignations of National Party frontbenchers Bridget McKenzie, Susan McDonald and Ross Cadell, who broke ranks with the Liberals and shadow cabinet’s position by voting against Labor’s legislation which cracked down on hate groups and radical Islamic preachers.

The resignations prompted Nationals leader David Littleproud and his entire front bench to quit the shadow ministry.

Liberal party sources claim a challenge to Ms Ley’s leadership was expected to be held at a party room meeting in Canberra within a fortnight, however disgruntled MPs are pushing to have the matter dealt with sooner.

On Sunday, Liberal frontbencher Julian Leeser backed-in Ley as Opposition leader and said she had his “unequivocal support”.

“During this period where Australia has been in a period of national crisis, she has shown the leadership that the prime minister has failed to do,” he told Sky News on Sunday.

Asked if Mr Hastie would be effective at countering rising support for One Nation, Mr Leeser replied: “Sussan Ley is our leader and Sussan Ley is the person that I support in that role.”

Liberal sources have spoken of internal anger towards Mr Littleproud for having blown up the political alliance on Thursday, an act seen by many as the Nationals leader intervening in the senior coalition party.

Mr Littleproud has repeatedly denied he demanded Ms Ley resign in a phone call during the week.

He said the three Nationals senators who resigned from the shadow cabinet after voting against Labor’s hate speech laws needed to be reinstated before the parties could reconcile.

“That’s the threshold question that our party room took,” he said.

“That’s the threshold question that was given to Sussan, she wasn’t prepared to accept it.”

Ms Ley is remaining defiant, declaring that she will survive as Liberal Leader and also leaving the door open to reconcile with the Nationals.

Ley was unequivocal when questioned on Sunrise on Friday morning about whether she would still be leader this time next month.

“Yes I will, and I’m backed by my Liberal Party in the decisions that I’ve made to date,” she said.

She also insisted that a coalition reunification was still possible.

“The door between a coalition, between our two parties, from my point of view, is still open,” she said.

“But I’m not looking at that door. I’m looking at the Australian people because they’re counting on us to deliver for them.”

Mr Hastie’s fellow leadership rival Mr Taylor, who previously served as shadow treasurer, is continuing to sound out colleagues about the party’s direction as he prepares to return to Australia from Europe.

One senior MP claimed Mr Taylor has the support of the powerful NSW branch of the Liberal Party which gave him an edge against Mr Hastie.

Speaking outside his Mandurah home late last week, the Canning MP declined to weigh-in on the leadership speculations and said that “these are complex matters.”

Labor has seized on the instability of their opponents with the Prime Minister hinting that sexism and misogyny were behind the push to oust Ms Ley.

Anthony Albanese accused the Liberal Party of having “undermined” its first female leader “from day one.”

“(The Liberals and the Nationals) certainly don’t like each other but they also don’t like each other within their parties – the Liberals don’t like other Liberals and the Nats don’t like other Nats,” he said on Friday.

“I’m in a party of Government because I want to be in a position to make a difference in this country. The coalition had just focused on themselves. It’s all about their internals, and Sussan Ley has been undermined — the first woman leader of the Liberal Party — undermined from day one and the alternative leaders are worse.”

Treasurer Jim Chalmers also leapt on the Opposition turmoil, describing the Coalition as a “smoking ruin” that is not fit to run the country.