Mr Pi Qiansheng, a vice-ministerial official in the north-eastern city of Tianjin, was sacked from the Chinese Communist Party over graft allegations on Wednesday. This followed the removal of Mr Xu Zongheng, mayor of Shenzhen city, less than a week ago on similar accusations.

While observers believe that both cases are not linked, they said that these are part of a fresh move by the central government to target provincial leaders.

The double whammy came hot on the heels of two other senior provincial leaders being detained for investigations.

Guangdong province's top political adviser Chen Shaoji and its former head of an anti-corruption body, Mr Wang Huayuan - who had since moved to Zhejiang province - were both turned over to prosecutors in April.

Their cases, along with Mr Xu's, are linked with the fall of China's former No. 1 tycoon, Mr Huang Guangyu. The home appliance magnate is being investigated for financial irregularities.

There is speculation that they have been brought down as part of a power struggle within Guangdong, China's richest province, in the last two years.

These officials, known as the Guangdong Gang, have been battling the provincial party boss, Mr Wang Yang, since the Beijing-backed outsider was parachuted into the province in 2007.

There are now fears, said Hong Kong-based analyst Joseph Cheng, that the Guangdong scandal could also bring down former Shenzhen party boss Huang Liman, a secretary of former president Jiang Zemin in the 1980s.

The Guangdong political theatre is distinct from two other areas which are also embroiled in scandals, said analysts. Mr Pi's sacking, for example, is part of a series of scandals in Tianjin which date back to 2004. They led to two senior officials of the coastal city committing suicide and others being arrested.

Read the full story in Friday's edition of The Straits Times.

shpeh@sph.com.sg