You could be right but I doubt it.  
If I was DeSousa my main objective would have been to teach the sleazy, meddling, arrogant Federal Liberals a lesson for BARRING him from running without a valid reason (which eased the pathway for a guaranteed in the bag James victory [which ultimately backfired on them]) and also JAMES BEING SECRETLY IN CAHOOTS AND IN ON IT, thus DeSousa working towards an "ANYBODY BUT YOLANDE JAMES" victory.  
He wouldn't really care if Rizqy or Lambropoulos got in, as long as it was one of them AND NOT YOLANDE JAMES !  
It just so happened that Lombropoulos got in because of the voting deal she SECRETLY cut with James before the vote.  Lombropoulos is not so innocent and naive as she looks.  She obviously knows how to play the game.  
James thought she was benefiting from cutting the deal but she FATALLY overestimated her 1st ballot support.  The deal unexpectedly worked to Lombropoulos advantage and she got in.  She even was surprised and shocked to win.