Democratic mayoral contender Bill de Blasio yesterday tore into rival Christine Quinn�s decision to keep Ray Kelly on as police commissioner if she is elected mayor later this year.

The public advocate, one of Quinn�s likely challengers, painted the closed-door move as a �backroom deal� orchestrated by Mayor Bloomberg.

De Blasio admitted he doesn�t know whether the mayor was personally involved in conversations between Kelly and Quinn, the City Council speaker.

�But I do know this: The people of this city are sick of backroom deals. They�re sick of the mayor, in particular, trying to exert influence on the next administration, trying to continue to have a role that is not one that should continue after his term is up,� de Blasio said in response to a report about the deal in yesterday�s Post.

De Blasio, a cautious critic of the NYPD�s use of stop-and-frisk, said he has �a lot of respect for Ray Kelly� but that it is premature to discuss who would be the next commissioner.

READ MORE: NY POST