TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — DPP Legislator Kuo Kuo-wen (郭國文) criticized DPP Tainan mayoral primary candidate Chen Ting-fei (陳亭妃) on Monday over her past connections to former Tainan City Council Speaker Kuo Hsin-liang (郭信良).

Kuo Hsin-liang left the DPP in 2018 to run for council speaker and won with backing from the KMT, independents and several defecting DPP city councilors, including Chen’s sister, Chen I-chen (陳怡珍), per CNA. Kuo was later convicted on corruption charges, though the conviction was overturned on appeal, per CNA.

Kuo Kuo-wen, who supports Chen’s primary rival, Legislator Lin Chun-hsien (林俊憲), criticized Chen for claiming she had no involvement in DPP defections during the 2014 and 2018 city council speaker elections, per NOWNews. He said Chen supported several defecting DPP councilors, including her sister.

Kuo said Chen should explain her relationships with KMT and pro-KMT independent councilors to supporters of the party’s pro-Taiwan faction.

Chen and Lin clashed during a policy presentation Saturday, when Lin again raised Chen’s ties to Kuo Hsin-liang, per CNA. Chen responded by pointing to the corruption conviction of former Tainan Economic Development Bureau Director-General Chen Kai-king (陳凱凌).

Ahead of the event, Chen highlighted a widely circulated poll described as an internal DPP survey, which showed her advantage in a hypothetical head-to-head matchup against KMT Legislator Hsieh Lung-chieh (謝龍介) was within the margin of error compared with Lin’s, per Tai Sounds. The poll suggested Lin has significantly narrowed the gap.

The DPP said it has not conducted or released any internal polling for primary races and urged media outlets and polling organizations to publish information required under the Public Officials Election and Recall Act. A DPP insider said Chen’s apparent lead over Lin in the poll may come largely from voters not aligned with the DPP, per Mirror Media.

Deputy Secretary-General Ho Po-wen (何博文) questioned the poll’s origins, suggesting it may have been commissioned by one of the primary candidates, per Liberty Times. He reiterated that the party did not produce the poll and urged the public not to spread misinformation.

Separately, Formosa Magazine Chair Wu Tzu-chia (吳子嘉) said the New Tide faction, associated with President Lai Ching-te (賴清德), may have begun mobilizing support for its preferred candidate, Lin, per NOWNews.