ACT Party MP and minister Brooke van Velden has announced she is retiring from politics and will not seek re-election in November, placing the Tāmaki electorate in sharp focus ahead of the next general election.
Van Velden currently holds the Tāmaki seat, which she won in 2023. Her decision to retire shifts attention to Phase One Ventures chief executive Mahesh Muralidhar, who 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 contested Auckland Central for National in 2023 but was unsuccessful. Since then, he has been actively engaging with the Tāmaki electorate, culminating in his nomination.
"I want to acknowledge Brooke for her service as MP for Tāmaki and I wish her well for the future," Murlidhar told The Indian Weekender today.
When asked whether this development would change anything for the National candidate, Murlidhar said it does not alter his goal.
"I am running a campaign focused on fixing the basics and building the future for all people in Tamaki," he explained
In an earlier interview last month, Muralidhar told The Indian Weekender he was “really excited,” following his nomination.
"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 last month .
“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 was set to 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 last month in an interview with The Indian Weekender .
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.
This article has been updated to include quotes from Mahesh Muralidhar.
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," he said last month.
Brooke van Velden ,the 33-year-old ACT MP for Tamaki won the seat off National at the 2023 election. She said the easy thing would have been to stay in politics.
Van Velden will have been in Parliament for nine years by the election - three years working with leader David Seymour on his successful End of Life Choice bill, and six years as ACT's deputy leader.
"I simply want to do more with life, I'd like to try my hand at the private sector, and potentially at some point in the future coming back to public service," RNZ quoted her as saying.
Van Velden had told Seymour and the party general secretary before Christmas that she was considering leaving.
She will remain a minister for now, and the party will confirm a new deputy leader at its general meeting in June.
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