Bendigo East MP Jacinta Allan to become Victorian Premier

UPDATE 3.46pm: And that's it for our rolling blog of the appointment of the new Premier of Victoria. Check in with your local ACM site for continuing coverage.

UPDATE 3.29pm: Jacinta Allan holds first press conference as Premier

Jacinta Allan has spoken of the "deep honour and privilege" of becoming the next Premier of Victoria, at a press conference in Melbourne.

"Today is about marking that transition and pledging to work incredibly hard," she said.

"I pledge to the Victorian community that I will continue to work hard, as I have done every single day as a member of the Victorian Parliament," Ms Allan said.

Ms Allan said she was "delighted" to be joined by Ben Carroll as her deputy.

"I've known JA for more than 20 years, she is not only a colleague, but she is a friend," Mr Carroll said.

"Jacinta has lived and breathed regional Victoria."

"We're looking forward to getting on with it."

Reporters asked Ms Allan in which sector she would get started.

"It has been mere minutes since our caucus meeting and I will be having more to say about policy priorities as we go through the process of swearing in a new cabinet," she said.

"I intend to hit the ground running.

"We've got a lot of work to do."

An emotional Allan spoke on the importance of women in leadership positions when asked about if she had reflected on being the second female Premier of Victoria.

"Leadership takes on different shapes and sizes," she said.

"Women have a place at every single decision making table at across this state."

Ms Allan said herself and Mr Carroll assumed their respective positions unopposed.

UPDATE: 2.43pm: Allan will be Premier

Jacinta Allan is set to the 49^th Premier of Victoria with Ben Carroll as deputy.

There will be a press conference just after 3pm.

Ms Allan and Mr Carroll are meeting in a side room following the caucus.

Other MPs remain in the caucus room.

UPDATE 2.29pm: "It's nothing! Stay calm" - minutes turning into hours

Reporter Tom O'Callaghan is standing outside the party room.

He said people taking toilet breaks from the meeting are remaining tight lipped about what is happening in the room.

"We'll see" and "not yet" have become the common refrain as MPs run the gauntlet of media on the way to the men's and women's restrooms.

The door to the caucus room opens to a rush of media and embarrassed parliamentarians say things like "it's nothing! Stay calm" before they duck through.

Behind the party room doors marked "strictly private members only" comes the sound of conversation, sometimes laughter and sometimes silence.

UPDATE 2.08pm: Carroll to run

Public Transport Minister Ben Carroll will run for leader of the Victorian Labor party, according to multiple media reports.

That would mean a contested leadership challenge between Jacinta Allan and Mr Carroll.

There is still no definitive word on what that means for a result today.

There is talk the leadership decision could be taken to a ballot of Labor members in Victoria.

UPDATE 1.14pm: The outgoing Premier arrives

Dan Andrews has arrived at the party room shortly after Ms Allan.

The caucus room broke out in applause at his arrival. The meeting is now underway.

More news: 'Time to step away': Labor on backfoot as Andrews walks

UPDATE 1.03pm: Allan arrives

Jacinta Allan has arrived at the party room.

Ms Allan was asked if she was "confident" she would walk out of the meeting as Premier.

"There's a caucus process ... as I've said a few times today," Ms Allan said.

Ben Carroll, who had left the party room again, went in separate to Ms Allan's group.

He did not answer reporter's questions.

UPDATE 12.50pm: All signs point to challenger

Ben Carroll arrived at a Labor caucus meeting flanked by police minister Anthony Carbines, who is also from the right faction.

Multiple media reports say he has decided to challenge leadership favourite Jacinta Allan for the position of Premier.

If Mr Carroll does challenge then the new Premier will not be chosen on Wednesday afternoon, as party rules stipulate members are entitled to take part in a leadership ballot.

- with AAP

UPDATE 12.44pm: Politicians get thirsty too

MPs have been coming in and out of the caucus room to go to the loo and get water. MPs just went in with glasses and big jugs of water, to cheers from the leaders inside the room.

Someone has now gone to fine the switch to the air conditioner, suggesting they are not sure how long this will take.

The group of media are settling for a long wait.

UPDATE 12.29pm: 'There's a process underway': D'Ambrosio

Mr Carroll has returned to the party room.

Minister for Climate Action Lily D'Ambrosio, who followed Mr Carroll out of the party room, was asked if he had nominated for premier.

"There's a process underway, so hopefully we'll go through the process," she said.

More news: Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews resigns

UPDATE 12.21pm: There is heavy speculation of a leadership challenge

Minister for Industry and Innovation Ben Carroll, from the party's right faction, has left the party room where the caucus meeting is happening.

There is heavy speculation of a leadership challenge.

Jacinta Allan is yet to arrive at the party room.

UPDATE 12.02pm: Caucus members have entered party room

Labor MPs have started walking into today's caucus meeting at the state parliament party room.

Among them is Member for Bendigo West Maree Edwards.

UPDATE 11.55am:

Not all reactions to Ms Allan's possible premiership have been positive.

Liberal Senator for Victoria Sarah Henderson wasn't shy when speaking on Ms Allan, citing her involvement with the Commonwealth Games "fiasco".

"Reports that the minister responsible for the Commonwealth Games fiasco, Jacinta Allan, is said to take on the top job, are deeply concerning," Ms Henderson said on September 26.

UPDATE 11.30am: Allan 'letting the usual caucus process run its course'

Ms Allan arrived at parliament this morning tight lipped about her potential new gig.

"There's caucus meeting this morning, I'm looking forward to joining the caucus with my colleagues and letting the usual caucus process run its course," she told reporters as she walked into Victorian Parliament.

When asked if she had the support of her Labor colleagues, Ms Allan said she would respect them and let the usual process run its course.

Member for Northern Victoria and Attorney-General Jaclyn Symes, who is from the right faction, told reporters she expected Ms Allan would run unopposed and believed a new Premier would be chosen on Wednesday regardless.

Ms Symes also ruled herself out of the running for deputy and said she would wait to find out exactly who was running before backing a candidate.

Former federal opposition leader Bill Shorten said if the Bendigo East MP was successful she would ensure all Victorians were represented on Spring Street.

"She's a very highly successful, accomplished woman leader in her own right," Mr Shorten told ABC Radio National.

"She comes from the regions, she's a very experienced politician."

- with AAP

UPDATE 11am: New Premier will face 'significant challenges': Broad

Nationals member for Northern Victoria, Gaelle Broad, has released a statement on Daniel Andrews' resignation, stating the that new premier would face 'significant challenges".

She laid out a host off issues facing Labor, including the level of the state's debt, the fact we are set to pay more than $22 million a day in interest, there was a critical housing shortage, a battling health system, 2000 teacher vacancies in the education sector and increased taxation.

Ms Broad said that the state needed a change of direction.

Earlier: Jacinta Allan wakes this morning a hair's breadth from the highest political office in Victoria.

The Bendigo East MP threw her hat in the ring to become premier on Tuesday, hours after long-time leader Daniel Andrews announced his resignation.

Ms Allan has declined to make detailed comments before a party-room meeting scheduled for noon.

She could walk out of that meeting as Victoria's 49th Premier.

Ms Allan would not be the first Premier to simultaneously serve Greater Bendigo residents.

She would have a very visible reminder of the other state-leader thanks to a statue of Sir Albert Dunstan in the treasury gardens next to Melbourne's parliament house.

That member for Eaglehawk led Victoria from 1935 to 1945.

The progressive Ms Allan is unlikely to look to the more conservative Dunstan for inspiration.

She could take more inspiration from Victoria's first female premier Joan Kirner from 1990 to 1992, who was part of the Australian Labor Party.

Ms Allan is married to Yorick Piper and they have two children.

This is the beginning of Australian Community Media's coverage of the appointment of the next premier of Victoria. Come back for updates throughout the day.