THE National Party is refusing to buckle to external forces and officially enter the race to reclaim Indi for the first time since the mid-1970s.
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Party chiefs resisted the temptation to officially open the pre-selection process at two meetings last week.
The Nationals have already conceded a head start to their biggest rivals at the next election, current member for Indi Cathy McGowan and her predecessor, the Liberals’ Sophie Mirabella.
The Labor Party also has a candidate in campaign mode, Wodonga councillor Eric Kerr.
But Nationals state director Jenny Hammett said on Monday the party wouldn't be swayed by external influences about setting a date to pre-select a candidate.
"We are still strongly committed to fielding a community-focused candidate in Indi," she said.
"We will open pre-selection at a time we think is appropriate.
"We have some very clear ideas of what we think is the most appropriate way to do that and it is not now.
"The influences around that decision are a consideration of the current political environment."
The Nationals haven't contested Indi since 2001 when Mrs Mirabella replaced retiring Liberal Lou Lieberman.
Don Chambers was the Nationals candidate 14 years ago and polled less than 50 per cent of the total primary votes secured by Labor's Barb Murdoch.
Mac Holten was the last National to hold the seat in the mid-1970s.
Former Nationals state MP Ken Jasper's decision to throw his support behind Ms McGowan at the last federal election remains a sore point for local Liberals and some sections of the Nationals.
Ms Hammett disputed suggestions the party needed a candidate in the field as early as possible to give itself a realistic chance of winning Indi.
"The National Party brand is well known in some parts of the electorate and there are other parts of the electorate where it is not so well known," she said.
"We believe the Nationals will run a very strong campaign when we have the appropriate candidate.
"(Voters) will certainly be aware of the choices they have.
"I think people accept that the Nationals do things their way for a reason."
Local Nationals were urged to resist speaking publicly about pre-selection matters and to refer all media enquiries to Ms Hammett.
"Nobody is being gagged," she said.
"The Nationals have a very clear process around discussions on pre-selection."
