The Takanini electorate is shaping up for a closely contested race, with Labour selecting long-time South Auckland businessman and community leader Kharag Singh as its candidate, signalling a direct challenge to the sitting National MP.
The move places the seat firmly back in contention, with Labour positioning Singh as a central figure in its bid to reclaim the electorate.
Who is Kharag Singh
Singh is the son of a uniformed soldier who served in both the British Air Force and the Indian Air Force. His name, Kharag, meaning sword, is one he associates with “seva and justice,” describing it as a symbol of protection and standing up for those in need.
He was raised in an environment shaped by discipline, respect and service, values he says defined his upbringing.
Born in India, Singh studied Economics and Public Administration at DAV College in Chandigarh, where he was elected President of the student body. He has described this role as formative in developing leadership skills, including listening and decision-making.
Singh later migrated to New Zealand in 1987. He has said the decision to leave India was difficult, but driven by a desire to build a better future. In his early years, he worked multiple jobs while supporting his family.
In 1995, he established Everglade Four Square, a small supermarket that changed everything. It gave him stability and the freedom to serve customers and neighbours daily, both from behind the counter and within the community. He continues to operate the business today.
He is also a Justice of the Peace and a Marriage Celebrant, roles through which he engages with members of the community. Members of the community often come to him with legal papers, for help on special family occasions and for quiet support.
Singh lives in South Auckland and is part of the Takanini community. He often says, before anything else, he is a husband to Ramandeep and a father of two boys. Everything he does is guided by one question: what kind of country are we leaving for our children.
A diverse and growing electorate
Takanini is one of the country’s youngest and fastest-growing electorates. The name is derived from rangatira Taka Nini of Waikato-Tainui, reflecting a legacy of leadership and responsibility to protect people and land.
The electorate includes Māori whānau, Pasifika families, long-standing South Auckland communities, and a growing number of migrant families. Over time, thousands of Indian and other Asian migrants have settled in the area, with a large Gurdwara in Takanini, that has become a spiritual and cultural anchor and a busy community hub for many Kiwi Indian families.
Public data does not give a perfect split of the voter base by ethnicity, but the broad picture is clear. Around four in ten people in and around Takanini are of Asian/Indian background, including a strong and growing Indian community. A similar share are Māori and Pasifika. The rest are mainly European and other communities.
In political terms, this means no one group can decide the seat alone. To win, a candidate must earn trust across Indian and Asian voters, Māori and Pasifika whānau, and long time South Auckland families from all backgrounds.
Recent election turnout figures suggest that roughly in the high thirty-thousand range of voters participate in Takanini, with a winning candidate typically requiring close to twenty thousand votes. That level of support only comes when a campaign can reach right across the electorate and bring people out to vote.
Recent political context
Takanini was first contested in 2020, when Labour won the inaugural election. Singh was involved in that campaign as Deputy Chair of the Labour Electorate Committee, contributing to careful organising efforts. He helped build local structures from scratch, developed links with churches, temples and community groups, and gained first-hand knowledge of booths and neighbourhoods.
In 2023, the political climate shifted, with cost of living pressures, high interest rates and crime front of mind across the country. Labour selected Singh to contest Botany against National Party leader Christopher Luxon, in what was widely seen as one of the toughest races in New Zealand politics.
Labour did not win the seat, but Singh gained further experience and recognition from the contest.
At the same time, back in Takanini, a strong national swing helped National take the seat. Labour’s share fell, and National came through in both the electorate and party vote.
Labour has now returned Singh to Takanini, where he has lived and worked for decades, in what appears to be a strategic effort to regain the seat.
Why Kharag Singh fits Takanini now
Takanini is not a seat won from a billboard or a distant office. It requires an MP with a visible presence in the community, right from supermarket aisles and the Gurdwara to marae, church halls and school gates.
This is where Singh stands out.
The electorate places strong emphasis on local presence and community engagement, areas where Singh’s background in migrant experience, business ownership and political organising is seen as an advantage.
He understands what it means to arrive with little, take any job and slowly build a life. Indian and Asian families, and many others, see their own story in his journey.
He brings academic training in economics and public administration, which is useful in discussions on budgets, the cost of living, taxes and public services.
Singh also brings business leadership to the table. Running a local supermarket for nearly three decades means he has experience managing a small business, including staffing and operational pressures, and has been involved in previous election campaigns, including Labour’s 2020 Takanini win.
Singh is also described as an active grassroots organiser, with a focus on direct engagement with voters.
Electoral pathway
The electorate’s composition means candidates must secure support across Māori and Pasifika communities, Indian and Asian voters, and working and middle-income families.
Singh, who identifies as Sikh, has cited “Sarbat da Bhala”, meaning the welfare of all, as a guiding principle in his approach.He does not speak only to one group. He speaks about everyone doing well together.
Labour’s strategy appears to centre on mobilising support across these groups to reach the approximate twenty-thousand votes typically required to win the seat.
A competitive race
Labour’s selection of Singh has shifted the dynamics of the Takanini contest, placing pressure on National in what is no longer considered a secure seat.
With his background in the community, business experience and political involvement, Singh is positioned as a key challenger as Labour seeks to reclaim Takanini in the next election.