Former state member Denise Allen’s chances of taking on Indi’s Liberal MP Sophie Mirabella have been blocked by the party and Wangaratta businessman George Dimopoulos has withdrawn for personal reasons.

Labor had hoped by now to have had a candidate on the ground campaigning ahead of the September election.

Ms Allen and Mr Dimopoulos both nominated ahead of the pre-selection deadline, but are out of the race.

Ms Allen said she wanted to take on Mrs Mirabella, but the party decided otherwise on a technicality relating to the length of her membership of a local branch.

“You will have to ask the ALP head office why they do what they do,” she said.

“I didn’t drop out.

“I fought hard to do it, but the powers that be saw it differently.

“I am extremely disappointed and so is every single branch member in Indi.”

Attempts to contact Labor powerbrokers for an explanation on Ms Allen’s dumping were unsuccessful.

Zuvele Leschen, secretary of Labor’s federal electoral assembly, couldn’t be reached for comment.

Mr Dimopoulos said yesterday he withdrew in recent weeks.

“My reasons are personal and family,” he said.

“I couldn’t put 200 per cent into it and plus I’ve got a couple of businesses I’ve got going.

“It was a hard decision, but family comes first.”

A Labor candidate will need an unlikely 10 per cent swing to Mrs Mirabella, who is on Tony Abbott’s front bench.

She has held the seat since 2001.

Former Wangaratta councillor Lauren McCully wouldn’t comment yesterday on her chances of becoming the Labor candidate for Indi.

Mrs McCully has previously stood twice for the state seat of Murray Valley without success.