Mahesh Bindra absent from New Zealand First list; Anne Degia-Pala promoted

With less than a month left until the highly anticipated 2023 New Zealand elections, New Zealand First has revealed its party list. While the list features familiar names associated with the party, including Shane Jones, Mark Patterson, and former Wellington Mayor Andy Foster, Kiwi-Indians would be disappointed to find Mahesh Bindra missing from the list.

Mahesh Bindra, a member of New Zealand First since 2006, represented New Zealand First as a list MP from 2014 and 2017 and has been a well-known Kiwi-Indian face in the party, which has generally been perceived as anti-immigration. 

In the 2011 election, Bindra contested from Mount Roskill, placing 5th place with 419 votes. In the 2014 election, Bindra garnered 607 votes and entered Parliament as a list MP from Mt Roskill, ranking 11th on New Zealand First list.

He remained a List MP till 2017 when he ranked 10th on the list but failed to secure a parliamentary seat. In 2020, Bindra dropped to number 12.

Bindra was also the New Zealand First Spokesperson for Ethnic Affairs.

Curiously, Bindra's name is absent from the list this year and has been removed from the New Zealand First website as well, leading to speculation that he may have resigned from the party. The Indian Weekender attempted to contact Bindra but was unable to reach him.

According to the recent 1News Verian poll, Winston Peters’ New Zealand First is around the 5 per cent mark, up one point from the last poll.

Anne Degia-Pala, who is a well-known face in the West Auckland community and has been associated with New Zealand First for more than a decade, has jumped from number 24 in 2020 to number 15 this year.

Degia-Pala, who hails from Suva, Fiji, will be a candidate for the electorate of Kelston in West Auckland.

The Indian Weekender spoke to Degia-Pala, who said she was not aware why Bindra was missing from the list. On contesting from Kelston, she said, "I have been in Kelston for many years, and we will do our best in the coming elections. The Kiwi-Indian and Fiji-Indian community has contributed so much to this country, so we have to be a part of the democracy and participate in the policy-making."