The 2025 Federal Election marks a milestone for South Asian political participation in Australia, with 58 candidates of South Asian heritage contesting seats across the country. Among them, the Australian Greens are fielding the highest number — 14 — followed by the Liberal Party with 12 and the Labor Party with 9. Several candidates are also running as independents or with smaller parties.

Of these 58 candidates, 44 are contesting seats in the House of Representatives, while 14 are standing for the Senate, representing electorates and regions across New South Wales, Victoria, Queensland, Western Australia, South Australia, and the ACT.

Currently, there are five South Asians in the Federal Parliament. In 2022, approximately 38 South Asian Australians ran for office. This growing representation reflects broader demographic and political shifts. 

According to the Australian Bureau of Statistics, released on Apr 30, individuals born in India now make up 3.4% of Australia’s population — the second-largest overseas-born group after those from England. The Indian-born population has more than doubled in the past decade, from 411,000 in 2014 to 916,000 in 2024. 

“South Asian Australians represent a politically diverse demographic that defies simple categorization,” says Dr Sukhmani Khorana, whose research indicates South Asian voters engage across the political spectrum rather than aligning with any single party.

The candidate pool reflects a wide range of professional and lived experiences, from early childhood educators and IT professionals to union organisers and local councillors. Women are strongly represented across all major parties, including Dr Rattan Virk who has made history as the first Sikh woman to secure a federal ticket from the Liberal Party, Dr Michelle Ananda-Rajah (Labor), and Dr Mehreen Faruqi (Greens).

Labor Party

Celine Varghese-Fell – Warringah (NSW)

• A primary school teacher, she moved to Australia more than 20 years ago. She has served on various local groups and boards including the NSW Out of Hours School Care peak body. 
• Country of Origin: Singapore
• Links: Website | Facebook 

Cassandra Fernando – Holt (VIC)

• A Sri-Lankan-Australian, Fernando came to Australia when she was 11. She spent nearly 15 years as a pastry chef, and as an advocate for essential workers and migrants and refugees. She also represents workers in the retail and fast food industries.
• Country of Origin: Sri Lanka
• Links: Website | Instagram | Facebook  

Ash Ambihaipahar – Barton (NSW)

• Ashvini studied science at the University of Sydney where she taught human anatomy and law at the University of Technology, Sydney. Ash is a Srilankan born in Australia raised by her uncle. 
• Country of Origin: Sri Lanka 
• Links: Website | Instagram | LinkedIn

Zaneta Mascarenhas – Swan (WA)

• Zaneta was born in Kalgoorlie, Western Australia, to Indian immigrant parents of Goan descent who migrated from Kenya. She spent 15 years as a mining engineer, helping mining companies develop policies and practices to address climate change. Mascarenhas is the first woman to win the seat of Swan in its 101-year history. She is the first person of Goan origin to be elected to Australia’s House of Representatives.
• Country of Origin: India 
• Links: Website | Instagram | LinkedIn

Varun Ghosh – WA Senate

• Born in Canberra to Bengali parents of Indian origin, both of whom were neurologists, he pursued higher education at the University of Western Australia, earning degrees in Arts and Law. Later, as a Commonwealth Scholar, he studied Law at the University of Cambridge. His professional journey includes roles as a finance attorney in New York and a consultant for the World Bank in Washington, DC before moving to Australia. 
• Country of Origin: India 
• Links: Website | Instagram | LinkedIn

Deep Singh – WA 

• Deep has roots in India where he was born He then went on to live in New Zealand before finally moving to Australia.He is a media adviser to Minister Anne Aly, a former Aged Care Organiser with the United Workers Unions.
• Country of Origin: India, New Zealand  
• Links: LinkedIn

Dr Michelle Ananda-Rajah – Higgins (VIC)

• Born in London to Sri Lankan Tamil parents who fled the country in the early 1970s,Michelle spent her early years in Zambia before immigrating to Australia at the age of 11. She is a researcher and an infectious diseases and general medicine specialist doctor.
• Country of Origin: Sri Lanka
• Links: LinkedIn | Facebook | Instagram 

Nildhara Gadani –  Goldstein (VIC)

• Hailing from Ahmedabad (Gujarat), Nildhara has built a diverse career, working as an early childhood educator, trainer, and founder of a not-for-profit organisation that empowers women in their entrepreneurship journey. Interestingly, her journey in Australia began as a dance teacher.
• Country of Origin: India
• Links: LinkedIn | Instagram | Facebook 

Tarun Dewan – Western Australia (Senate) 

• Tarun moved to Australia in 2003. An engineer, he has experience in construction, operations, energy transition projects, project delivery and SAP functions. 
• Country of Origin: India
• Links: LinkedIn 

Liberal Party

Rattan Virk – Greenway (NSW)

• Dr Rattan is the first Sikh woman to secure a federal ticket from the party. She holds a degree in Business Administration and has worked in public service roles focused on community outreach and engagement. 
• Country of Origin: India 
• Links: Instagram 

Binod Paudel – Macarthur (NSW) 

• Binod, a hotelier-turned-coaching entrepreneur and community leader, was selected to join the Policy Institute of the Non-resident Nepali Association Australia. He also founded the first local rugby team in Chitwan, Nepal, his birthplace.
• Country of Origin: Nepal
• Links: Instagram | LinkedIn | Facebook

Usman Ghani – Calwell (VIC) 

• Usman is a cyber-security expert, having completed a Master’s degree in accounting and business. 
• Country of Origin: Pakistan
• Links: Website | LinkedIn | Instagram | Facebook

Annette Samuel – Holt (VIC) 

• Raised in Vijayawada by her widowed mother, Annette began her career as a secretary. After moving to Australia, she worked in the oil and gas industry before launching her own business. Today, she runs companies that retrofit homes and install renewable energy systems.
• Country of Origin: India
• Links: Website |  Instagram | LinkedIn | Facebook

Harmick Singh Matharu – Hotham (VIC)

• Born in Birmingham to Indian parents with family ties to Kenya, Harmick is the former spokesperson for the Victorian Sikh Gurduara Council. 
• Country of Origin: UK, India 
• Links: Website | Instagram | Facebook 

Mira D’Silva – Lalor (VIC) 

• Mira migrated to Melbourne from India in 2004. She runs a professional services organisation focused on tech, operating across the Asia-Pacific region. In the 2022 federal election, she contested the seat of Maribyrnong as the Liberal candidate.
• Country of Origin: India 
• Links: Website | Instagram | LinkedIn | Facebook

Jacob Vadakkedathu – ACT Senate

• Jacob with roots in Kerala has over 20 years of experience in the public and private sectors, including policy and budget analysis roles at the Commonwealth Department of Finance and KPMG. Currently, he is the CEO of a Canberra-based consulting firm.
  Country of Origin: India 
  Links: Instagram | LinkedIn | Facebook

Leon Rebello – McPherson – Gold coast

• Leon Rebello, born in Canberra to first-generation Australian parents from South Goa, is a solicitor specializing in foreign investment at a law firm. He previously worked on the ministerial staff of former Foreign Minister Julie Bishop and holds degrees in law and international relations from institutions in Australia, France, and the Netherlands.
• Country of Origin: India 
• Links: Website | Instagram | LinkedIn | Facebook 

Zakir Alam – Watson (NSW)

• A businessman, Zakir has roots in Bangladesh. 
• Country of Origin: Bangladesh

Vivek Singha – Fowler (NSW)

• A tax manager, Vivek  is a CPA and finance manager with a strong track record across Big 4 consulting, IBM, and multinational finance leadership. He has led finance, tax, and reporting teams across the Asia-Pacific, managing statutory and group reporting for businesses. Vivek has roots in Shimla. 
• Country of Origin: India 
• Links: LinkedIn

Rohit Tuggar – Scullin (VIC)

• Immigrating to Australia in 2008, Rohit is a small business owner. He founded and manages a local hockey club in Mernda, creating opportunities for youth athletes.
• Country of Origin: India 
• Links: Website 

Satish Patel – Fraser (VIC)

• Satish migrated from India 21 years ago and started his journey working in Melbourne’s restaurant industry. After earning his master’s degree in information systems management, he went on to run his own business in internet and computer services.
• Country of Origin: India 
• Links: Website | Facebook

The Australian Greens:

Dr Mehreen Faruqi – NSW Senate

• Dr Mehreen is an engineer, activist, and Greens Senator for New South Wales. She is the first Muslim woman in an Australian parliament.
• Country of Origin: Pakistan
• Links: Instagram | LinkedIn

Samantha Ratnam – Wills (VIC)

• Samantha moved to Melbourne with her family after the Sri Lankan civil war. She holds a PhD in youth sociology and has worked as a social worker before entering the Victorian Parliament. From 2017 to 2024, she led the Victorian Greens and represented the Northern Metropolitan Region in the Legislative Council.  
• Country of Origin: Sri Lanka
• Links: Instagram | LinkedIn 

Payal Tiwari – Holt (VIC) 

• Payal migrated to Australia in 1991 and has built a career in management consulting, IT strategy, and policy reform while raising her family as a single mother. Her contributions include work with the Frankston Specialist Family Violence Court and advocacy for  technology, transformation, and family violence.
• Country of Origin: India
• Links: Instagram | LinkedIn 

Sukhjinder Pal Singh – Chifley (NSW)

• Sukhjinder has a background in advocacy for social justice, community empowerment, and equitable policies. He is a long-time resident of the Blacktown local government area. 
• Country of Origin: India 
• Links: Website | Instagram | LinkedIn

Ponraj Krishna Pandi – Gellibrand (VIC)

• Ponraj is an IT professional, local advocate, father, and first-generation migrant from India. He received his education from the public system and is committed to fighting for better public education. 
• Country of Origin: India 
• Links: Instagram | LinkedIn 

Navdeep Singh – Queensland

• Navdeep is a mechanical engineer who also holds a graduate certificate in environmental engineering. After experiencing multiple job redundancies, he started his own mechanic business.
• Country of Origin: India
• Links: Instagram | Facebook 

Nikil Paul – Petrie (QLD) 

• Nikil is a software engineer in medical technology. His roots stretch to India and Oman. 
• Country of Origin: India 
• Links: Website | Instagram | LinkedIn | Facebook 

Palaniappan Subramanian – Greenway (NSW) 

• A technical architect with two decades of IT experience, Palaniappan has lived in Western Sydney for over a decade. 
• Country of Origin: India 
• Links: Website |  Instagram 

Harjit Singh – Bradfield (NSW)

• A father and a long-time advocate for social justice, Harjit’s background includes work in community advocacy and policy, with a focus on housing, climate action, and human rights.
• Links: Website | Instagram | Facebook 

Loki Sangarya – Scullin (VIC) 

• With roots in Bengaluru, Loki is an engineer, activist, and unionist. He is currently working as a water and wastewater treatment engineer specializing in planning, including for climate change risks to essential infrastructure.
• Country of Origin: India
• Links: Instagram 

Ravneet Garcha – Calwell (VIC)

• Ravneet migrated to Australia with her family as a child. She is a registered nurse and an advocate from the northwestern suburbs of Melbourne.
• Country of Origin: India
• Links: Instagram | LinkedIn

Sujan Selventhiran – NSW (Senate) 

• An operations manager, Sujan arrived in Australia as a refugee in 2000, he spent nearly six years working as a Tamil interpreter. He founded the Tamil Resource Centre to support Tamils seeking asylum through language assistance, help with safe haven enterprise visas (SHEV) applications, and other critical services.
• Country of Origin: Sri Lanka
• Links: Website | Instagram | Facebook

Rachel Jacobs – NSW (Senate)

• Rachael is an educator, activist, artist, and a freelance writer with a PhD in Arts Education. She lectures in Creative Arts Education at Western Sydney University and is a dance instructor and choreographer. She also co-founded Teachers for Refugees. She was born in Papua New Guinea to Australian parents of Indian heritage. Her family background spans across Chittagong (then India), Lucknow, Mumbai, and Bareilly. 
• Links: Website | Instagram | LinkedIn | Facebook 

Hannah Johnson – Grayndler (NSW)

• A policy advisor, Hannah is a lawyer, activist and writer. Having moved to Australia in 2009 as an international student, Hannah was born to Malaysian parents and with Indian heritage. Formerly a dual citizen of Canada and Malaysia, she has formally renounced both. She is contesting against the Prime Minister Anthony Albanese in the federal election. 
• Links: Website | Instagram | Facebook

Independent Candidates: 

Mandeep Singh - Mackellar (NSW)

• Born in Punjab, India, Mandeep migrated to Australia in 2003. He currently serves as a councillor on Northern Beaches Council and is a small business owner operating several cafés across Sydney’s Northern Beaches. 
  Country of Origin: India 
  Links: Instagram | Facebook 

Ashok Kumar Tewatia - Burt (WA)

• Ashok was born into a farming family, and later moved to the US where he worked in a healthcare company. He then shifted base to Australia, where he is currently working as a senior software engineer. 
• Country of Origin: India 
• Links: Website | LinkedIn 

Yashaswini Kanakagiri - Victoria (Senate)

• Yashaswini has a background in banking, corporate finance, and public service. She has served in public sector roles across state and federal government, supporting communities with immigration, NDIS, Centrelink, and housing services. She has also worked with ANZ, NAB, Westpac specialising in client advocacy, ethical recovery, and financial strategy. 
• Country of Origin: India 
• Links: LinkedIn

Aijaz Moinuddin - Lalor (VIC)

• Aijaz is an IT business analyst in the public transport sector who moved to Australia from Hyderabad. He worked for various companies before founding his own software development business. He has contested local, state, and federal elections, including campaigns in Lalor, Tarneit, and Werribee.
• Country of Origin: India
• Links: Instagram | | LinkedIn 

Ravichandran Ragupathy - Calwell (VIC)

• Hailing from Thanjavur, Ravi leads the Australia Asia India Business Organisation.   
• Country of Origin: India 
• Links: LinkedIn | Facebook

Maa Malini - Parramatta (NSW)

• An interpreter, Maa aka Malini Anandakrishnan has her roots in Tamil Nadu. 
• Country of Origin: India 
• Links: Facebook 

Raj Saini: Victoria (Senate) 

• Raj is the president of the Indian Cultural Association of Victoria.
• Country of Origin: India 
• Links: Instagram | Facebook

Kirti Alle: Victoria (Senate)  

• Kirti is an educator and volunteer. She has led meditation and wellness campaigns and volunteered at cultural events.
• Country of Origin: India

Minor party candidates: 

Kuljeet Kaur Robinson - Pauline Hanson’s One Nation - Monash (VIC)

• Born in a small village in Amritsar, Punjab, Kuljeet migrated to Australia in 2007. She is a qualified registered nurse working in a public hospital in Victoria.  She previously ran as an independent in the Casey local elections and was formerly associated with the Labor Party​. 
• In addition to her nursing career, she is a published Punjabi writer with four poetry books.
• Country of Origin: India
• Links: Instagram | | LinkedIn

Rohan Laxmanlal - Animal Justice Party - Chifley (NSW)

• Born in Westmead, Rohan has deep roots in Western Sydney, where he has lived for most of his life. With a background in finance and mathematics, he now specialises in renewable energy and environmental markets. He is an active volunteer for vegan street outreach and food markets across New South Wales. He has run for state and federal office five times, representing the party in both elections.
• Country of Origin: Sri Lanka 
• Links: Instagram | | LinkedIn 

Vinay Kolhatkar - Libertarian Party - Barton (NSW)

• Vinay is an author, podcaster, and chief editor of ‘The Savvy Street’. He was the first NSW candidate to run under the Libertarian Party banner in the 2024 Cook by-election. Vinay is vice-chair of the party’s Federal Policy Committee. He holds master's degrees in management sciences, finance, and journalism.
• Country of Origin: India 
• Links: Instagram | LinkedIn | Facebook

Shalini Bhasin - Libertarian Party - Bonner (QLD) 

• Shalini moved to Australia from India in her mid twenties. She has studied yoga, meditation and advocates for women solo travels. She travels regularly on self- study tours with a focus on studying Hindu civilization. She has a background in government audit and risk advisory in senior positions both at Federal and State level. 
• Country of Origin: India 
• Links: Instagram | Facebook

Vickrem Naicker - Trumpet of Patriots - Moncrieff (QLD)

• Born in Malaysia, Vickrem (Vic) moved to Australia in the early 1980s and completed his law degree at Bond University in 2003. He has held roles at the Australian Securities Exchange and as Special Counsel at Minter Ellison. His in-house legal work spans capital raisings, ASX listings, and mining law for companies. 
• Country of Origin: Malaysia 
• Links: Website | LinkedIn

Ganesh Loke - Trumpet of Patriots - Parramatta (NSW) 

• Ganesh migrated from Mumbai to Australia in 1999 as an international student. He previously contested the Parramatta seat in 2013 and 2019, under the United Australia Party. He works as a social activist, writer, and motivational speaker, and manages businesses in film production, IT, and training.
• Country of Origin: India 
• Links: Instagram | Facebook

Harsimran Kaur - Australia’s Voice - Victoria (Senate) 

• Harsimran has over a decade of experience in software and information technology, working in project management roles as a scrum master and project manager.
• Country of Origin: India 
• Links: LinkedIn

Ron Malhotra - Family First Party - La Trobe (VIC)

• Born in Delhi, Ron has a professional background in corporate banking, financial services, training, and real estate advisory. He has worked as an entrepreneur and small business owner for over a decade. 
• Country of Origin: India 
• Links: Instagram | | LinkedIn

Deepa Mathew - Family First Party - South Australia (Senate)

• A mortgage broker from Kerala, Deepa has done her MBA from Australian Institute of Business. She is also a lecturer at Torrens University. She was a candidate for the seat of Enfield for the Liberal Party.
• Country of Origin: India 
• Links: Instagram | LinkedIn

Christopher Brohier - Family First Party - South Australia (Senate)

• Christopher was born in Colombo and moved to Australia with his family at the age of 14. He is a barrister who has practised law in South Australia for about 42 years. He was also the co-founder of the Human Rights Law Alliance (HRLA). 
• Country of Origin: Sri Lanka
• Links: Instagram | LinkedIn 

Michael Brohier - Family First Party - Barker (SA)  

• Michael has worked as a mechanical engineer in the defence industry and has also worked as a tennis coach. His father, Christopher, is running for the Senate in the elections.
• Country of Origin: Sri Lanka 
• Links: Instagram | LinkedIn 

Suniti Hewett - Family First Party (FFP) - Dickson (QLD)

• An education facilitator, Suniti (Sun) is standing as a candidate against the leader of the Opposition, Peter Dutton. 
• Country of Origin: India
• Links: Website  | Instagram | Facebook  

Alvin Mathew - Australian Christians - Burt (WA) 

• Alvin holds a bachelor’s degree in commerce and is pursuing a Master’s in Internet and Social Media. He has worked within the healthcare/disability industry as a coordinator managing residential facilities. He is also an administrative officer with Australian Christians.
• Country of Origin: India 
• Links: Instagram | LinkedIn

James Rai - Australian Christians - Tangney (WA)

• James is a high school teacher with 13+ years of experience in Singapore and Australia. Both his parents had roots in India.
• Country of Origin: Singapore, India 
• Links: Instagram 

Wesley D’Costa - Australian Christians - Cowan (NSW)

• Wesley moved to Australia at the age of five with his family from Mumbai. He is an occupational therapist with experience across child and adolescent care, aged care, vocational rehabilitation, and training. Wesley holds a Master of Occupational Therapy from Curtin University and additional qualifications in counselling, early childhood education, community services, health and safety, remedial massage, and fitness.
• Country of Origin: India 
• Links: Instagram | LinkedIn