National Party candidate's committee member removed following sexual misconduct conviction
Story essentials
Ankit Bansal, Roger Buchanan, National Party
Palmerston North, New Zealand
October 25, 2026
This page is produced by collecting and structuring multiple public reports. Sections based only on reporting or testimony affect the displayed assessment, and the page is updated when new information is identified.
About this article
COMPAMIR Editorial Team
The COMPAMIR editorial team brings together public reporting and links to the original coverage. We update the page as new information emerges.
Read our editorial policy- Earlier version 110/26/2026, 6:30:43 AM
National Party removed Roger Buchanan from the Palmerston North electorate committee after his 2021 conviction for sexual conduct with a minor was revealed. Candidate Ankit Bansal was previously unaware of the conviction, according to the party. Buchanan had been authorized to act as a special vote witness, a role requiring candidate sign-off.
Read next
Prioritized by shared people, places, and events.
Trump escalates anti-Muslim rhetoric in attack on Senate candidate El-Sayed
Donald Trump launched an anti-Muslim attack on Democratic candidate Abdul El-Sayed. The race against Mike Rogers is critical for Senate control. The US midterms are approaching in just over a week.