Jagmeet Singh quits as NDP leader following defeat in Canada elections
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Ottawa: In a stunning political setback, New Democratic Party (NDP) leader Jagmeet Singh, widely known for his pro-Khalistan stance, announced his resignation on Tuesday following a resounding defeat in the Canadian federal elections.
Singh, who was vying for a third consecutive term, lost his Burnaby Central seat in British Columbia to Liberal Party candidate Wade Chang. Singh secured only around 27 per cent of the vote, while Chang claimed a decisive victory with more than 40 per cent.
The outcome was a major blow not only to Singh personally but also to his party. Under his leadership, the NDP contested 343 seats but managed to win just seven, a steep drop from the 24 seats the party held following the previous federal election. The party's national vote share also plunged dramatically to just 2 per cent.
With fewer than 12 seats in the House of Commons, the NDP now stands to lose its national party status in Canada, further compounding the party’s crisis.
Meanwhile, the Liberal Party, led by Mark Carney, emerged victorious in the federal polls, winning over 160 seats. However, the party fell short of securing a majority, raising questions about the dynamics of the next Parliament. Canadian public broadcaster CBC and other outlets projected that Carney’s Liberals would form the next government, though the final composition of power remained uncertain at the time of reporting.
Reacting to the electoral defeat, Singh addressed his supporters on social media platform X, saying, “I know this night is disappointing for New Democrats. But we are only defeated when we believe those that tell us we can never dream of a better Canada... I am disappointed that we could not win more seats. But I am not disappointed in our movement.”
Singh, who became NDP leader in 2017, made history as the first ethnic minority politician to lead a major federal party in Canada. However, his tenure has often been marked by controversy, particularly over his consistent support for Khalistani ideology. He has repeatedly associated himself with the goals of the Khalistan movement, which advocates for an independent Sikh state separate from India — a position that has drawn strong criticism from New Delhi.
Relations between India and Canada deteriorated sharply last year after Canadian authorities accused the Indian government of involvement in the killing of Khalistani terrorist Hardeep Singh Nijjar in British Columbia — a claim India firmly denied as baseless due to a lack of evidence from Ottawa. During this period, Singh stood firmly behind then-Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, who had made the accusations.
However, Singh distanced himself from Trudeau in September last year when the NDP became the last among Canada’s three main opposition parties to withdraw support from his administration. Singh accused Trudeau of capitulating to corporate interests and abandoning progressive commitments, signaling a major shift in political alignment ahead of the 2025 polls.
With Singh stepping down and the NDP in disarray, Canada’s political landscape is set for significant realignment in the coming months.
With IANS inputs
