Selection of over a dozen Indian ethnicity candidates by various political parties for the upcoming 2023 Parliament elections, is a reflection of New Zealand’s changing political scenario.
Going by the current trends and estimates of pollsters, the country’s tenth Parliament – under the mixed member proportional system (MMP), could have the largest-ever contingent of Indian-origin MPs.
Featuring prominently in the National and ACT party lists are five Indian-origin candidates each, whereas Labour has put up two and Green one Indian ethnicity candidate.
Two other minor parties – Freedoms NZ and Animal Justice party have one contender each with Indian-roots though their chances of success are limited. But nothing can be predicted with any certainty.
NZ First Party has none from Indian ethnic group and have unexpectedly dropped Mahesh Bindra’s name from Panmure-Otahuhu electorate at last minute with no explanation. Bindra was in Parliament from 2014-2017 and was at third rank before his name disappeared.
Out of these listed candidates, those expected to cruise comfortably under MMP in the official poll results on 3rd November include National’s Siva Kilari, Mahesh Muralidhar and Navtej Singh Randhawa; Labour party’s Priyanca Radhakrishnan and ACT nominee Parmjeet Parmar.
Hamilton’s lone Indian-origin candidate, Himanshu Parmar is also at a comfortable position of 13th in ACT list and likely to sail through.
National’s Siva Kilari (Manurewa electorate) came to New Zealand as an international student in 2002, and after a string of failed businesses, he is today New Zealand’s largest supplier of granite, marble and onyx.
He is challenging Labour’s Arena Williams who won 2020 elections with a majority of 17,179 votes, and has always been a very safe seat for Labour. Siva with a rank of 30 in National party is almost certain to enter Parliament this year, and his first priority is to support the community recover from devastating weather events.
As the tide appears to be turning against Labour, two other National candidates of Indian-ethnicity expected to make it to Parliament on anti-Labour wave are: Mahesh Muralidhar (#43, Auckland Central) and Navtej Singh Randhawa (#46, Panmure-Ōtāhuhu).
Born in Kerala (India) and brought up in Singapore, Mahesh Muralidhar is chief executive of a venture firm and spent several years working in Sydney. He is keen to “stand up for the young people struggling to afford the basics”.
Ranked 46 on National’s list, Papatoetoe’s Navtej Singh Randhawa who did his schooling from Hamilton Boys’ High School, is a supermarket owner and active member of the NZ Indian Business Association. His priority is “making sure our communities are safe”.
Born in Chennai (India) and brought up in Singapore, Priyanca Radhakrishnan is in a very comfortable position to be back in Parliament again with a rank of 15 in Labour list. She created history last term by becoming New Zealand’s first-ever Indian-origin cabinet minister.
Priyanca strongly believes that everyone should have the opportunity to live with dignity.
ACT party’s Pakuranga seat contender is National’s two-term former MP, Parmjeet Parmar who switched to ACT party in May this year. She was voted out in 2020.
A scientist, business woman and community advocate, Parmjeet immigrated to New Zealand in 1995, and made New Zealand history in the 2014 general election as the first Indian-born woman elected to Parliament. She believes “right now, New Zealand’s economy desperately needs an injection – And I like to think of ACT as the booster jab.”
As ACT party is expected to significantly expand their numbers in Parliament post-October, another Indian-origin contender expected to emerge victrious is Hamilton’s Himanshu Parmar (13th in list).
Born and raised in New Delhi, Himanshu is a business-owner in Huntly and wishes to be the voice of struggling, hard-working small business owners.
Other Indian-origin candidates in this years election are:
National Party: Karunanidhi (Karuna) Muthu (#51,Rongotai), Ankit Bansal (#52, Palmerston North); Labour party: Kharag Singh (#66, Botany); ACT party : Rahul Chopra (#26, Mt Roskill); Pothen Joseph (#46, Mangere), Ankita Lynn(#56, Wigram); Green Party: Sapna Samant (#28, Maungakiekie); Animal Justice Party: Paran Jeet (#10, Banks Peninsula)and Vision NZ: Vijay Sudhamalla (#17, Port Waikato)