Talk radio king Alan Jones said the Liberal party's likely choice for the next NSW leader, Gladys Berejiklian, lacks the ability to be Premier and accused her of being installed by party factions without a proper contest.
Jones, whose influence on Macquarie Street has been legendary, called into his own radio program from an overseas break to recover from surgery deliver the extraordinary intervention in the race to succeed Mr Baird.
It came as another contender in the race, Planning Minister Rob Stokes, ruled himself out of contention on Friday morning.
"[Gladys Berejiklian] is not across these issues in a million light years," Jones said, in reference to issues left behind by the Baird government such as council amalgamations and the lockout laws.
Jones answered 'no' when asked if he thought Ms Berejiklian was capable of commanding a premier's brief and agreed that he considered her a "bad choice".
Jones further accused Ms Berejiklian of being installed by party factions including their senior lobbyist members without a proper contest.
"Before [Mr Baird's] announcement was made the Gladys Berejiklian forces were already ringing up and doing deals so that this would all be a fait accompli," he said. "It's all being stitched up.
"The public won't cop it … There is no democracy.
"There are other candidates… let them throw their hat into the ring along with Gladys Berejiklian who was quick out of the blocks to say 'I'm a starter'… yes, of course, you'd already organised the numbers before Baird had made the announcement".
Much was made on Macquarie Street the fact that Mr Baird's announcement came at a time when several MPs were on holiday, including Mr Stokes, who was in the United Kingdom, a man often described as his closest friend in parliament.
Mr Stokes' exit from the race leaves only one challenger to Ms Berejiklian, the Transport Minister Andrew Constance, a man to whom Jones has been seen as closely allied.
Jones, a persistent critic of the outgoing premier, also questioned Mr Baird's stated reasons for retiring: a number of major health issues affecting his mother, father and sister.
"Across NSW […] people would say what about the families who have been ruined by the greyhound ban… [and] gone broke because of the lockout laws?," he said. "Michael Baird has cut and run.
"There are thousands of families… who are facing those problems. And they've been affected [by government decisions]."
Fairfax Media contacted Mr Constance's office at noon yesterday to ask if he was a candidate but has not received a reply.
Several MPs have identified him as making calls to test the depth of his support within the party room.
Mr Constance was forced to deny last September that he had given a secret undertaking to Jones that he would scrap the government's then-policy of banning greyhound racing.
"I have had no discussions with Alan Jones," Mr Constance told the parliament, after rumours of an alleged deal spread.
(The ban was later overturned by Premier Mike Baird).
Mr Baird has said Ms Berejiklian would make "an outstanding Premier".