Victorian Labor MPs held robust discussions at a caucus meeting before picking Jacinta Allan to become the state’s new Premier.

Reports claim former premier Daniel Andrews remonstrated with some in the room after Public Transport Minister MP Ben Carroll threatened to stand for the position on Wednesday, against the outgoing premier’s preferred successor.

It would have forced a weeks-long process to select a new leader.

Mr Andrews “exploded” and swore during the meeting, interrupting Carroll as he attempted to address MPs, The Age newspaper reported.

Sport Minister Steve Dimopoulos refused to reveal exactly what happened inside the meeting when pressed for details on Friday.

“Caucus meetings are generally robust and they should be,” he said.

He said it was not unusual that details of the meeting had leaked out but insisted the government was united.

“People have a way of moving through those discussions and getting behind the government of the day and their leaders,” he said.

Allan who, like Andrews, is from Labor’s left faction, was officially elected to the position unopposed less than 24 hours after his shock resignation.

The leadership selection could have gone on for much longer after Carroll, who is from the right, threw his hat in the ring for the top job.

That would have forced a vote of party members, which could have taken weeks under party rules introduced in response to tensions between former prime ministers Kevin Rudd and Julia Gillard.

Ultimately, Carroll did not run for the top job and instead emerged as deputy premier, in a vote that was also unopposed.

Allan is spending the AFL grand final long weekend finalising her cabinet and expects positions to be sorted before parliament sits on Tuesday.

Treasurer Tim Pallas will stay on in that role and Eltham MP Vicki Ward has been elevated to the ministry, filling Andrews’ vacant spot.

– AAP