The SDLP has been accused by Sinn Féin of forming an unholy alliance with unionists in opposing plans for seven super councils in Northern Ireland under local government reform plans.
Former Belfast Lord mayor Alex Maskey said the SDLP was putting self-preservation ahead of the public interest by joining with the DUP and Ulster Unionists in attacking Sinn Féin's support for the new local government plan.
But the SDLP's local governemnt spokesman Tommy Gallagher hit back saying Sinn Fein were "feeling the heat" from their own grassroots on the issue.
Northern Ireland currently has 26 councils but under a Review of Public Administration undertaken by the British Government that is set to be slashed to just seven super councils with increased powers.
Mr Gallagher said Sinn Fein support of the plan amounted to a power-grab in the west of Northern Ireland at the expense of nationalists living in the east. He described the plan as a repartition of the North.
"The reality is that Sinn Féin signed up for super-Ballymenas in the east so it could grab power for itself in councils in the west, but there is a massive backlash rising up in the west and Alex Maskey is now feeling its sting," Mr Gallagher said.
"It's a pity he hadn't worked that out before they signed up for Hain's repartition which would give back housing and planning powers to councils without any guarantee of legislation to enforce power-sharing and equal treatment," Mr Gallagher said.
In a hard hitting attack earlier, Mr Maskey said the SDLP should be focusing on ensuring there were adequate equality provisions for minority parties in each council area.
He told his party's national elected representatives forum in Dublin: "Sinn Féin have in recent months received much criticism from an unholy alliance of the SDLP, UUP and DUP on our view that the best model for future local government structures in the north is based on a seven-council model with the necessary rigorous checks and balances built in.
"It would be very easy for Sinn Féin to ignore the fact that we believe that this model is the best way to ensure quality, to ensure fair representation and to ensure the effective delivery of services and instead fight for the retention of a vast number of councils and councillors which are simply not required.
Last month, Local Boundaries Commissioner Dick Mackenzie issued his initial proposals for the seven council areas which could come into being in 2009.
Under his plan, Belfast would be a bigger council area than was originally intended, swallowing up parts of Castlereagh, Lisburn and North Down councils.
The other councils would be known as:
- Inner East Local Government District, incorporating Antrim, Carrickfergus, Newtownabbey Councils and the remainder of Lisburn City Council.
- East Local Government District, comprising Ards, Down, parts of North Down and Castlereagh Councils.
- South Local Government District, made up of Armagh, Banbridge, Craigavon and Newry and Mourne.
- West Local Government District, incorporating Cookstown, Dungannon and South Tyrone, Fermanagh and Omagh.
- North-West Local Government District, comprising of Derry, Limavady, Magherafelt and Strabane and part of Coleraine.
- North-East Local Government District, made up of Ballymena, Ballymoney, Larne, Moyle and a major part of Coleraine.
The SDLP and cross-community Alliance Party have criticised the plan, claiming it would result in a sectarian carve up with unionists dominating councils in the east and nationalists in the west.
SDLP local government spokesperson Tommy Gallagher, in particular, warned Sinn Fein by supporting Mr Mackenzie's plan to put nationalist districts currently in Lisburn into the new Belfast council area, they would be leaving the nationalist minority in the Inner East Council even more vulnerable.