A fifth candidate has joined the nomination race to represent the BC United Party in the newly created 琉璃神社-Lake C0untry-Coldstream riding in the next provincial election.

Binny Boparai, an agricultural entrepreneur who is the founder of Farming Karma with her husband, formally announced her candidacy this week, but her own efforts to gather party members to support her bid started earlier this summer.

鈥淚鈥檝e been at this for a while now,鈥� Boparai said of her door-knocking efforts across the riding to promote both her candidacy and the change of the BC Liberal Party to the BC United.

鈥淚 had not put out anything in the media until now because with the fires going on it did not seem the appropriate time to do that.鈥�

The 32-year-old said she is running to bring forward new ideas representative of the different mindset of her generation and to use her own personal drive and advocacy experience to benefit the wider community.

鈥淚 am raising my family here, I work here, my husband and I have built a business here, I live in this riding and I want people to understand I know what it is like to be in their shoes,鈥� Boparai said.

She is one of five candidates seeking the nomination, the others being 琉璃神社 city councillor Mohini Singh, Regional District of North Okanagan vice-chair Amanda Shatzko, consultant Adam Wilson and past 琉璃神社 city council candidate Bal Grewal.

They are seeking to replace the retiring MLA Norm Letnick. A nomination meeting has not been set yet but each candidate has gone through a vetting process to be approved as a nominee.

Boparai said she understands the frustration people generally have with the government, that for her generation it seems hopeless to participate in the process, where the average age of MLAs today is 57.

鈥淵ou can be sad about it and choose not to get involved, or you can choose to try to make a difference,鈥� she said.

Before taking up farming full-time, Boparai studied engineering at UBC worked in finance as a credit analyst, and has been an active advocate for the small business and agriculture sectors.

鈥淚 want to help bring about change and I feel I have the ability and time to dedicate to a campaign and run for political office. I feel I have a duty to do that,鈥� she said.

鈥淢y whole motivation is about people. I want them to feel represented, to have a voice at the decision-making table.鈥�

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