Vinayak Kolape actively fundraising for candidates in Daniel Andrews’ Socialist Left faction

A former adviser to Daniel Andrews is still actively involved in the Labor Party despite being accused of a relentless campaign of harassment against an MP.

A sacked adviser to Premier Daniel Andrews who was the subject of an explosive bullying claim is still an active player in the Labor Party.

Rebel Labor MP Kaushaliya Vaghela accused Vinayak Kolape of a relentless campaign of harassment she said left her on the brink of a mental breakdown.

But, despite losing his advisory role following an investigation into the claims, Mr Kolape is still ­actively fundraising for candidates in Mr ­Andrews’ Socialist Left faction.

Mr Kolape is listed as a key contact for a coming fundraising event for Socialist Left convener Mat Hilakari and his ally, Dylan Wight.

Vinayak Kolape with premier Daniel Andrews. Picture: Facebook

The pair will make their first tilt for parliament at ­November’s election after being preselected to contest the electorates of Point Cook and Tarneit.

Ms Vaghela has accused Mr Kolape and several his associates of intimidating and harassing her after she defected to the party’s Right faction.

“They wanted to break me mentally, physically and psychologically,” she told the Saturday Herald Sun.

“They thought if they did this I would get tired and walk away – they wanted me to walk away. I was determined not to.”

Labor MP Kaushaliya Vaghela says Vinayak Kolape and his associates wanted to break her mentally. Picture: David Caird

Ms Vaghela’s concerns were detailed in a formal written complaint to the Premier’s office in May last year.

“Vinayak in collaboration with this gang actively sidelines me, undermines my role in the Indian community, ­defames me and my husband, excludes me from events,” she wrote.

Labor Party sources said Mr Kolape’s ongoing influence on some groups within the party was a poor look.

“It’s as if they don’t care,” one source said.

“I would have thought there’s plenty of fish in the sea that could be doing the work he’s doing.”

Controversial Labor figure Jasvinder Sidhu is named alongside Mr Kolape, and four others, as a contact for the fundraising event.

In 2019, Mr Sidhu was punched in the face after he hastily called a branch meeting at his own home.

Not long after, he was charged by his own party for branch stacking and over racist rants about Turkish and Lebanese Muslims.

Victorian Labor’s internal disputes panel suspended him from running for office for seven years along with other restrictions. But since then he has stayed active within the circles of the Socialist Left.

After his punishment he began working for Labor MP Lee Talarmis, a factional ally of Mr Andrews, and worked in his electorate office.

Mr Hilakari also worked in Mr Talarmis’s office over this period before taking on a job as a “senior consultant” at The Shape Agency and winning the nomination to run for Point Cook.

One insider, speaking anonymously, said Labor’s factional situation in Melbourne’s western suburbs had become toxic and in some ­instances was split along ethnic and cultural lines.

“You did not expect MPs or their staffers to get invited to certain events if they weren’t in the Socialist Left,” the insider said. “Other factions would return the favour by leaving out invitations to their own events, but then the SL operatives would be furious and the attacks just became venomous.”

Despite a purge of Victorian Labor members in the wake of allegations of industrial-scale branch stacking, memberships in these areas are stronger than other parts of Melbourne and groups are still jostling for control of branches while they wait for voting rights to be returned.

“I’m not sure if the recent IBAC hearings had a very discouraging effect on the rough-and-tumble out there; some people just view it as small change compared to what (corruption) happens abroad,” the source said.

A government spokesman said fundraising was a matter for the party.

Mr Kolape refused several requests for comment.

A Victorian Labor spokeswoman said: “No complaint has been made with Victorian Labor about Mr Kolape from any member.

“The Victorian Labor Party is not notified of workplace disputes between staff in government, as that would be inappropriate and a breach of privacy.”