Canada Election: Jagmeet Singh Breaks Down While Stepping Down As NDP Chief After Poll Loss | Video

Last Updated:April 29, 2025, 18:28 IST

The announcement came following his defeat in the country's federal elections, where he lost his seat in Burnaby Central, British Columbia, to a Liberal candidate

Jagmeet Singh also confirmed he would remain in the role temporarily until an interim leader is appointed. (Ethan Cairns/The Canadian Press via AP)

Canadian political leader Jagmeet Singh, a pro-Khalistan movement supporter, became visibly emotional during his concession speech after announcing he would step down as leader of the left-wing New Democratic Party (NDP).

The announcement came following his defeat in the country’s federal elections, where he lost his seat in Burnaby Central, British Columbia, to Liberal candidate Wade Chang.

Singh confirmed he would remain in the role temporarily until an interim leader is appointed. During his speech, he choked back tears several times while speaking.

“Thank you. That was very nice, very sweet of you. Thank you so much. Gotta keep it together here, folks. Thank you very much. The love is amazing. I appreciate y’all. Thank you to Suzanne, she’s been with us for the beginning. Thank you. Thank you," he said at the beginning of his address.

Videos of Singh becoming emotional has been widely shared on social media. In the footage, he is seen wiping his eyes and sipping water to compose himself during the speech.

“Tonight, I’ve informed the party leaders that I’ll be stepping down as party leader as soon as an interim leader can be appointed," he stated.

Singh was particularly emotional when thanking his wife, saying: “Now, I could not have done this incredible job without — give me a second to break down — I couldn’t have done it without the incredible support of my wife. She’s been my rock, she’s been my foundation. For the past couple years, I’ve been regretting that I didn’t thank her on the night of the last election so this is my opportunity to make up for it. She has literally been my rock. I couldn’t have done this without her."

Singh previously played a key role in keeping former Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s minority Liberal government in power for over two years, in exchange for increased social spending.

In this election, Singh secured only 9,104 votes (18.1%) in Burnaby Central. He trailed Liberal candidate Wade Chang, who received 42.1% of the vote, and Conservative candidate James Yan, who gained 38.7%, according to data from CBC.

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News world Canada Election: Jagmeet Singh Breaks Down While Stepping Down As NDP Chief After Poll Loss | Video