Daniel Andrews’ friend knew of $10m poll pledge months ago

A friend of Dan Andrews is alleged to have told members of the Indian community about millions in funding months before it was announced.

A friend of Premier Daniel Andrews who is also his local bottle shop owner is alleged to have told members of the Indian community about millions in expected funding months before it was announced.

On Sunday, Labor announced a $10m package for local projects that would benefit Indian Australians.

But the money was already a topic of discussion at the start of the year, and several people said Luckee Kohli had foreshadowed new funding.

The fact that Mr Kohli, a friend of Mr Andrews, knew about the grants so early comes after questions were previously asked about his influence.

He has been known to boast about his relationship with the premier and is often present at major announcements.

Luckee Kohli has been known to boast about his relationship with the Premier.

In 2018, Mr Kohli was listed as the sole director of a new body called the Australian Indian Strategy Group when it played a role in a major election pledge.

In August that year, Mr Andrews announced a $14.5m plan to buy two sites for nursing homes that would benefit Melbourne’s Indian community and be culturally appropriate.

The AISG was credited with the idea and initially had a role in the organisation of the project, including site selection.

No homes have yet been completed and the AISG is no longer believed to be involved in the project.

Mr Kohli also attended the swearing in of the Andrews government for its second term and his family are close personal friends of the Premier’s family.

Their relationship, and the aged-care announcements, led to a perception that he markets himself as the main point of contact for Indian Australians to meet the government.

This image was furthered this year, when they were told at least millions in new funding would come in time for the November election.

On Sunday, the Premier announced a $50m program to build and improve infrastructure for multi-faith and multicultural Victorians.

Kohli’s family are close personal friends of the Premier’s family.

This included $10m specifically for the Indian community, with half of this dedicated to a centre in the southeastern suburbs where Mr Kohli and Mr Andrews both live.

Ravi Ragupathy, an Indian-born independent candidate for Victoria’s upper house, said he believed Mr Kohli told the Indian community about the money as early as March.

He said the government had broken other election promises to the community in the past, and criticised the lack of action on a proposed Little India area in Dandenong.

“There are so many promises every election,” he said. “Trying to attract the Indian vote bank is in Labor’s DNA.”

Mr Ragupathy also criticised the aged-care project, which he said was another broken promise. A Labor campaign spokesperson said: “We are proud of our support for the Indian community.”

Mr Kohli is not a member of the Labor party.