The region's conservative president, Artur Mas, said yesterday the non-binding ballot called for November could not go ahead as planned -- a move hailed by Spain's Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy as a "triumph for democracy".
Faced with a legal challenge from Madrid, Mas vowed instead to hold a symbolic vote on that date without a formal electoral roll, which would fall short of a full referendum.
That frustrated some of the left-wing pro-independence groups with whom he had joined forces in his drive for an independence vote.
He added his voice to that of Oriol Junqueras, leader of the left-wing nationalist ERC party that props up Mas's CiU group in the parliament, who called on Tuesday for a snap election "as soon as possible".
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Junqueras said that if such an election yielded "a parliamentary majority for parties that are in favour of declaring independence, then it must be declared".
The Citizens party, which wants Catalonia to remain part of Spain, also backed the call for an early election.
Proud of their distinct language and culture, Catalonia's 7.5 million inhabitants have increasingly been demanding greater autonomy over recent years. The region accounts for nearly a fifth of Spain's economic output.
Rajoy is fiercely opposed to Catalonia breaking away from Spain. He had branded the planned referendum unconstitutional and vowed to defend the unity of Spain as it emerges from an economic crisis.
Rajoy's conservative government launched a legal challenge that led to the Constitutional Court suspending Catalan legislation aimed at organising a vote on independence.