In a widely anticipated move, federal leader Bill Shorten has intervened in the process and asked the 21-member committee to choose the candidates for the seats of Fraser, Macnamara (formerly Melbourne Ports) and Jagajaga.

But it is unclear if Mr Shorten’s intervention will end the bickering in the Victorian branch, which has seen accusations fly this week of large-scale branch-stacking, financial irregularities and rigged votes.

The leader’s move will add urgency to the talks going on behind the scenes among the factions and unions on a deal that can be presented to the committee for its approval.

In his letter to the party’s national secretary Noah Carroll, asking the committee to determine the preselections, Mr Shorten said he believed a federal election could be imminent.

"In this event there would be no time for the normal preselection processes to occur with respect to the federal preselections in Victoria," Mr Shorten wrote.

"I have been contacted by many of my Victorian colleagues in the federal Labor caucus who share my view that the efforts of all sitting MPs and candidates should be wholly focused on campaigning to win the next federal election."

Nominations from candidates will open on Friday and close on Monday.