[3][4] On 9 February 2022, Vaghela (then a member of the Labor Party) crossed the floor in support of Adem Somyurek's motion to refer the Andrews government to the Victorian Ombudsman in relation to the alleged misuse of taxpayer funds, involving the diversion of parliamentary staffing resources to political campaigning and party factional activities prior to the 2014 Victorian state election.

[5] In March 2022, Vaghela resigned from Labor to sit as an independent, making serious allegations of bullying against the party.

Her criticisms were aired after she had been left off the Labor ticket for the 2022 state election, following an investigation by the Independent Broad-based Anti-corruption Commission (IBAC) into the conduct of her husband, Dinesh Chauhan, and staff members.

[6] On 11 August 2022, Vaghela formed the New Democrats and applied for registration with the Victorian Electoral Commission (VEC).

[9][10] At the election, Vaghela was unsuccessful in her bid to be re-elected to the Western Metropolitan Region, receiving 0.55% of the vote.