Deeming last candidate standing after further preselection chaos

Moira Deeming has been given a clear run to retain her upper house seat following another chaotic day of internal machinations within the Victorian Liberal Party.

The main challenger for Deeming’s position on the party’s upper house ticket was struck off immediately after entering the shambolic race. By the end of Thursday, two of Deeming’s factional allies who had also nominated withdrew without explanation.

The sequence of events leaves Deeming as the only candidate still standing.

Real estate agent Bobby Lakra briefly loomed as a challenger to Deeming. He nominated on Thursday for the Western Metropolitan Region after Deeming’s initial replacement, Dinesh Gourisetty, was thrown off the ticket a day after his preselection because he provided a character reference for a child abuser.

But three sources unable to speak publicly about internal issues told The Age that Lakra was deemed ineligible from the contest because his application was missing his two references.

However, one said Lakra had confirmed with the party before nominations closed at midday on Thursday that he had handed over all the required information. They viewed the suggestion he could be struck off as a stitch-up, which Lakra was seeking to challenge.

Lakra is part of Melbourne’s Indian community and shares support from Gourisetty’s grouping, which still holds the numbers among preselectors.

Stephen Murphy – who narrowly lost the Werribee byelection for the Liberal Party last year – and Tim Beddoe, both Deeming allies, also nominated on Thursday. This triggered speculation they would bow out to leave Deeming the last candidate standing.

By Thursday evening, both Beddoe and Murphy had duly withdrawn, clearing the path for Deeming to continue her parliamentary career.

Deeming, who has taken personal leave this week, is yet to publicly declare whether she will stand for the seat she has held since 2022. She declined to comment on Thursday.

Deeming and her fellow upper house MP Trung Luu, who also challenged for the top spot but retained the No.2 position in Sunday’s ballot, were already deemed to have nominated in the new preselection contest under the party’s constitution.

But Luu withdrew on Wednesday and will hold on to his existing position.

Deeming has also been the subject of speculation she could jump ship to another party such as One Nation or the Libertarians, though she has not indicated she would do so.

Members were given just an hour’s notice at 11pm on Tuesday that nominations were reopening for 36 hours, which triggered frustration given the process requires seeking a police check, credit report, 10 signatures from eligible members and a statutory declaration with almost 100 questions.

Those who put their hand up also need to pay $5000, most of which goes to external consultants to vet candidates, though that process is under review after Monday’s debacle.

The fee is refunded when a candidate withdraws.

Opposition Leader Jess Wilson on Thursday repeatedly said the preselection was a matter for the party.

Gourisetty overthrew Deeming on Sunday. But the contest was embroiled in scandal by Monday morning when the party was alerted to a 2024 County Court reference he made for a friend, Kashyap Patel, who pleaded guilty to grooming and sexually assaulting a 15-year-old girl.

Gourisetty condemned Patel’s actions, but the party reopened nominations and barred him from recontesting for the position in the Western Metropolitan Region.

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