Lalit Arya enters political fray as National candidate for Ōtāhuhu
Real estate broker and community leader Lalit Arya has been selected as the National Party’s candidate for Ōtāhuhu in the 2026 general election, marking a new chapter in a career that has spanned retail, property, sport, and community service in South Auckland.
Arya, who has been active in Auckland’s real estate sector since 2017 following an earlier career in fashion and retail, currently serves as Regional Director of Industrial Sales and Leasing at James Law Realty. He is also the president of Rotary Counties Manukau, where he leads local service initiatives and youth-focused programmes.
Welcoming his selection, Arya framed his campaign around economic recovery and community priorities.
“National is fixing the basics and building the future,” says Arya.
Outlining his critique of the current economic situation and his party’s policy direction, Arya said:
“Labour’s economic mismanagement left those in Ōtāhuhu worse off, with inflation hitting a 32-year high and wages stagnating. Now, global instability, including the conflict in Iran, is adding further pressure.
Arya says National is fixing the basics by "undoing the damage Labour did, including ending wasteful spending, providing tax relief, bringing down interest rates and stabilising rents."
He says this sensible economic management means National can also provide targeted, time-limited support to those most affected by rising fuel costs, without jeopardising the country’s long-term security.
“National has also restored law and order. We have brought back real consequences for crime and cracked down on the gangs which has resulted in 49,000 fewer victims of violent crime, an 85 per cent reduction in ram raids and a 22 per cent drop in serious repeat youth offending."
Arya emphasised that he will be out and about in the community, campaigning hard to re-elect a National Government and to be the next MP for Ōtāhuhu.
Arya’s selection adds a political dimension to a profile already shaped by resilience and long-standing ties to South Auckland’s business and community landscape. Over the past decade, he has built a career in commercial real estate, specialising in industrial and investment sales. His work has included multiple multi-million-dollar transactions and recognition as a Top Commercial Broker in 2021.
Before entering real estate, Arya spent years in retail and fashion, developing what he has described as a strong grounding in customer engagement and commercial instincts. That experience later translated into his work in property, where he has positioned himself as a key player in Auckland’s industrial market.
His life, however, was significantly reshaped at 18 when a severe motorbike accident left him with multiple fractures, more than ten surgeries, and a prolonged recovery period spent largely in bed. What could have ended his ambitions instead became a turning point, shaping his outlook on work, discipline, and recovery.
Before the accident, Arya was also a national-level volleyball player, known for his energy and discipline on the court—traits he later carried into his professional life.
Today, alongside his corporate responsibilities, Arya remains deeply embedded in community work.
His public and professional life is closely tied to his personal one as well. Arya lives in South Auckland with his wife, Ravina, a preschool teacher, and their two sons, Samar and Samay, whom he has often described as central to his sense of grounding outside work.
As he steps into the political arena for the first time as a candidate, Arya is expected to campaign across Ōtāhuhu in the lead-up to the 2026 election, blending his business background, community engagement, and personal narrative of recovery and resilience into his pitch to voters.
Real estate broker and community leader Lalit Arya has been selected as the National Party’s candidate for Ōtāhuhu in the 2026 general election, marking a new chapter in a career that has spanned retail, property, sport, and community service in South Auckland.
Arya, who has been active in...
Real estate broker and community leader Lalit Arya has been selected as the National Party’s candidate for Ōtāhuhu in the 2026 general election, marking a new chapter in a career that has spanned retail, property, sport, and community service in South Auckland.
Arya, who has been active in Auckland’s real estate sector since 2017 following an earlier career in fashion and retail, currently serves as Regional Director of Industrial Sales and Leasing at James Law Realty. He is also the president of Rotary Counties Manukau, where he leads local service initiatives and youth-focused programmes.
Welcoming his selection, Arya framed his campaign around economic recovery and community priorities.
“National is fixing the basics and building the future,” says Arya.
Outlining his critique of the current economic situation and his party’s policy direction, Arya said:
“Labour’s economic mismanagement left those in Ōtāhuhu worse off, with inflation hitting a 32-year high and wages stagnating. Now, global instability, including the conflict in Iran, is adding further pressure.
Arya says National is fixing the basics by "undoing the damage Labour did, including ending wasteful spending, providing tax relief, bringing down interest rates and stabilising rents."
He says this sensible economic management means National can also provide targeted, time-limited support to those most affected by rising fuel costs, without jeopardising the country’s long-term security.
“National has also restored law and order. We have brought back real consequences for crime and cracked down on the gangs which has resulted in 49,000 fewer victims of violent crime, an 85 per cent reduction in ram raids and a 22 per cent drop in serious repeat youth offending."
Arya emphasised that he will be out and about in the community, campaigning hard to re-elect a National Government and to be the next MP for Ōtāhuhu.
Arya’s selection adds a political dimension to a profile already shaped by resilience and long-standing ties to South Auckland’s business and community landscape. Over the past decade, he has built a career in commercial real estate, specialising in industrial and investment sales. His work has included multiple multi-million-dollar transactions and recognition as a Top Commercial Broker in 2021.
Before entering real estate, Arya spent years in retail and fashion, developing what he has described as a strong grounding in customer engagement and commercial instincts. That experience later translated into his work in property, where he has positioned himself as a key player in Auckland’s industrial market.
His life, however, was significantly reshaped at 18 when a severe motorbike accident left him with multiple fractures, more than ten surgeries, and a prolonged recovery period spent largely in bed. What could have ended his ambitions instead became a turning point, shaping his outlook on work, discipline, and recovery.
Before the accident, Arya was also a national-level volleyball player, known for his energy and discipline on the court—traits he later carried into his professional life.
Today, alongside his corporate responsibilities, Arya remains deeply embedded in community work.
His public and professional life is closely tied to his personal one as well. Arya lives in South Auckland with his wife, Ravina, a preschool teacher, and their two sons, Samar and Samay, whom he has often described as central to his sense of grounding outside work.
As he steps into the political arena for the first time as a candidate, Arya is expected to campaign across Ōtāhuhu in the lead-up to the 2026 election, blending his business background, community engagement, and personal narrative of recovery and resilience into his pitch to voters.
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