“Karma Bhoomi...”: What Mahesh Muralidhar says about his National nomination

Phase One Ventures chief executive Mahesh Muralidhar has been selected by local party members as National’s candidate for Tāmaki in the 2026 General Election.

Muralidhar, a startup entrepreneur and mentor, previously ran as the National candidate in Auckland Central in 2023 but was unsuccessful. Since then, he has been actively engaging with the Tāmaki electorate, culminating in his nomination.

“I am really excited," Murlidhar said.

 "My wife Praveena and I live in this community. I am a member of the local community patrol. I mentor at the local schools. And I love this country,” Muralidhar told The Indian Weekender.

“When the Trade Minister [Piyush Goyal] came [to New Zealand], he talked about ‘Karma Bhoomi’ and I feel a deep sense of duty to give back to this country that gave me so much,” he added, looking ahead to the upcoming elections.

Muralidhar will contest the seat against incumbent MP and minister Brooke van Velden of the ACT Party, who has represented Tāmaki since 2023.

Known for his charismatic smile and affable nature, Muralidhar now faces the challenge of winning the support of Tāmaki voters.

“The Tāmaki electorate is a critical electorate to the National Party. Our focus is economic growth,” he said.

Outlining his goals for the electorate, Muralidhar highlighted crime prevention, addressing housing intensification, representation in Parliament, and addressing the cost of living as key priorities.

Born in the southern Indian state of Kerala, Muralidhar has lived and worked internationally. He studied in Singapore and New Zealand, and worked in Japan and Australia before returning to Auckland, a city he calls home.

Muralidhar was also part of the founding team of the popular graphic design platform Canva. After returning to New Zealand from Australia in 2020, he began offering free guidance from his Parnell home on building successful startups.

Looking ahead, he said, “This wonderful community should know that there is a National Party candidate who is fighting for them, and who is making sure that they are extremely well represented.”