The Conservative Party's National Council has bounced Helena Guergis as the nominated candidate for Simcoe-Grey, CTV News has learned.
She was informed of the decision Wednesday afternoon, as was her riding association, CTV Ottawa Bureau Chief Robert Fife reported.
Sources told CTV News that Guergis was removed as a candidate because Conservatives are concerned an election could be called at any moment, and they need to have nominated candidates in all 308 ridings.
Earlier this week, the Ontario riding's electoral district association had written a letter to Prime Minister Stephen Harper, asking that he not interfere in its right to choose a candidate.
"We don't want to lose this seat in the next election. But head office personnel have deliberately interfered with, obstructed and circumvented our autonomy as an association, and our right to freely express our opinions," the executive members wrote, in a letter obtained this week by the Canadian Press.
Guergis has been caught in the controversy surrounding her husband, former MP Rahim Jaffer, who is accused of improper lobbying on Parliament Hill.
But she has also made her own headlines, most recently for an outburst at the Charlottetown airport.
