Businessman the first name to emerge in Liberal contest for Werribee byelection

An Indian-Australian entrepreneur is among a handful of aspiring politicians vying to become the Liberal Party’s candidate for next month’s crucial byelection in Melbourne’s western suburbs.

The Age can reveal that businessman Rajan Chopra, who established an Indian restaurant in the seat of Werribee about 10 years ago, is among those who have nominated for the electorate, which is up for grabs following former treasurer Tim Pallas’ resignation as an MP.

Opposition Leader Brad Battin hopes to be next week campaigning side-by-side with the Liberal Party’s candidate for Werribee.Credit: Paul Jeffers

Chopra’s application was confirmed by three Liberal sources who spoke to this masthead on the condition of anonymity to discuss internal matters. The businessman declined to comment.

Under Liberal Party rules, preselection candidates are governed by strict conditions, including being barred from speaking to the media.

“There are two other contenders at this stage, but Rajan is supported by a lot of branch members,” one of the Liberal sources said.

“He has experience of the problems businesses are facing in Werribee and in Victoria.”

Chopra has also been the chief executive of a registered training organisation for more than a decade, the sources said. They said while he is now understood to live in Altona, outside the Werribee electorate, he still has business ties to the seat, including a property recently sold to childcare operators.

Chopra’s supporters within the Victorian Liberal Party also say he is the current treasurer of Australia India Investment Council and was a previous member of Wyndham City’s Council’s economic development committee.

Nominations for Liberal Party endorsement close on Friday. One of the other contenders is rumoured to be a councillor in the western suburbs, while a third is said to be a woman.

The Age was unable to verify the names of those people with multiple sources and so has not named them.

A Liberal MP, also speaking to this masthead on the condition of anonymity to discuss internal party matters, said earlier this week it had been difficult to find a wide range of candidates. In 2023, the Liberal preselection for the seat of Warrandyte, in Melbourne’s north-eastern suburbs, attracted eight people vying for the party’s endorsement in the byelection that year.

But another Liberal MP, also speaking anonymously to discuss internal party matters, said there had been renewed interest since Opposition Leader Brad Battin took over the leadership from John Pesutto.

“Having Battin as leader has triggered renewed hope in the west,” the MP said.

In his first sit-down interview since his frontbench reshuffle, Battin reiterated his commitment to focus on Melbourne’s growth suburbs.

John Lister, Labor’s candidate for Werribee, with Premier Jacinta Allan this week.Credit: Paul Jeffers

The Victorian Speaker confirmed the Werribee byelection would be held on Saturday, February 8, following Pallas’ formal resignation on Monday.

Werribee voters will head to the polls the same day as voters in the inner-city seat of Prahran, where a byelection will be held following the resignation of Sam Hibbins as a Greens MP.

Prahran is considered to be a Greens-versus-Liberal contest after Labor decided not to field a candidate.

However, Labor has chosen teacher and CFA volunteer John Lister to run in Werribee, which Pallas held for 18 years. Lister has already been doorknocking the electorate of about 46,000 voters alongside senior Allan government ministers.

The Liberals are expected to officially announce their candidate for Werribee by next week. The party is hopeful of making gains in the outer-suburban seat off the back of Labor’s 10 years in government.

While Werribee is considered Labor heartland, Pallas’ two-party preferred margin slipped from 15 per cent to 10 per cent in recent years.

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