Bangkok governor Sukhumbhand Paribatra cancelled a meeting at the last minute on Friday with Democrat Party leader Abhisit Vejjajiva.
Abhisit: Keen for another meeting
The two were due to meet to discuss graft allegations against two deputy governors.
The cancellation will likely have deepened the tension between the 63-year-old governor whose second term will end in 2017 and the leader of the party.
The party's popularity is declining due to MR Sukhumbhand's poor performance, Democrat politicians say.
Mr Abhisit told the Bangkok Post he did not meet MR Sukhumbhand at 9.30am at Suan Pakkad Palace on Friday as scheduled. He was informed of the cancellation by the governor's assistant secretary, Bensai Keeyapat, citing urgent work.
"New arrangements will be made soon," Mr Abhisit said. "The Bangkok Metropolitan Administration [BMA] will inform [me]."
Sukhumbhand: Enraged at claims
Mr Abhisit admitted he was prepared to discuss letters of complaint lodged against the governor on many issues. The issues are affecting the people's confidence in the party and work must be done together to solve the problems, he said.
Criticism of MR Sukhumbhand has grown in recent months. The situation has been exacerbated by allegations against two of his four deputies. The claims were made by former Democrat MPs Wilas Janpithak and Watchara Phetthong.
Mr Wilas, who formerly served as a chairman of a House committee on anti-corruption, said a deputy Bangkok governor misspent funds on overseas trips and received handsome bribes in exchange for lobbying on behalf of high-level officials for promotions.
The attack underlines the party's dissatisfaction with the BMA executives.
A party source said Mr Abhisit and other party executives told MR Sukhumbhand before the Bangkok governor elections that if he is elected, he must conform to party policies, and that the governor accepted this.
The source said the allegations by the two former party MPs had enraged MR Sukhumbhand.
"The rift between MR Sukhumbhand and the party is widening and this was likely the reason why the governor cancelled the meeting," the source said.