The early 90s in Delhi’s North Campus were as much about slogans and rallies as they were about shared samosas and political ambitions. Back then, a young Nitin Gupta was Student Union President of Ramjas College, while across the road, Rekha Jindal, later Rekha Gupta, was charting her own political journey at Daulat Ram College. Both came from merchant families dealing in food grains, and both, in different ways, would go on to occupy public life across continents.
Rekha is now Chief Minister of Delhi. Nitin, based in Atlanta since 2018, once served as a ministerial advisor in Victoria. Their paths have diverged geographically, but the political instincts from their university days remain sharp.
“I helped her with her campaign in 1995 when she ran for DUSU Secretary,” recalls Nitin, speaking with Prachi Panchal. “By 1996 I had moved back to Shahjahanpur to help my father with our family business. Then I moved to Australia and we lost touch, but we caught up again in 2009 and 2016, along with Ted Baillieu.” The two had first been introduced by their mutual friend Reena Chhibbar, a connection Nitin hasn’t forgotten. “Reena knew both our families, and it was through her that I first met Rekha.” Baillieu, then Victoria’s Opposition Leader in 2009 and later Premier, had been a key figure in a campaign that drew strong support from multicultural communities.
It’s that support base which remains the subject of some frustration and reflection for Nitin. “In 2010, the majority of Victorian Indian voters backed Ted,” he says, matter-of-factly. “Since then, the Liberals have struggled to get those votes back.” He believes it wasn’t just about identity or representation. “Hardworking advisors were key. You need people who will work the full 48 months of the election cycle. It takes continuous engagement, detailed new policies, and actual strategies to implement them.”
Quick visits to temples or token announcements, in his view, aren’t enough. “Putting multicultural candidates in losing seats won’t win you votes,” he says. “The work has to be real. And it has to start early.”
That brings us to Brad Battin, who has emerged as a contender in the upcoming 2026 Victorian election. “I first met Brad in the Liberal party’s leadership training program around 2009 or 2010. We had some good conversations,” says Nitin. Their professional overlap continued while Nitin served as ministerial advisor from 2010 to 2014, during which Battin, then a new MP, was often representing the Premier and Minister for Multicultural Affairs.
Despite that experience and visibility, Nitin is realistic about Brad’s chances. “The ALP has a comfortable majority. It’s going to be tough for Brad. But elections can surprise you.”
Where he is less circumspect is on the subject of crime, a recurring issue for opposition leaders in Victoria. “Ted, Matthew Guy, and Brad all raised it. But why did it work for Ted and not the others?” Nitin believes the answer lies in proximity to victims. “Ted met with them, stayed in touch, followed up on their cases. That made an impact, especially when victims came from multicultural backgrounds.”
He credits those meetings, some of which he helped arrange, as pivotal in shifting community sentiment. “Mainstream and multicultural media picked up those interactions. That mattered. I’m not sure if Guy or Brad have been as proactive on that front. But that community engagement went a long way.”
It’s a pattern Nitin returns to repeatedly. Political success, he suggests, doesn’t come from gestures, but from consistency. “There is no substitute for hard work, experience, and time,” he says, with the clarity of someone who’s seen campaigns up close.
Asked whether the strategies of 2010 still apply in 2026, Nitin nods cautiously. “A lot has changed. But yes, if you implement those lessons correctly, similar results are possible. The devil, as always, is in the detail.”
He offers no sweeping prescriptions, no sweeping slogans. Just a steady insistence on effort over theatrics. “If you want to win from opposition, you need to show up for all 48 months. There’s no shortcut.”
That rule, born from his own journey between Delhi and Victoria, may well outlast election cycles on both sides of the world.
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