5 hours ago
Last Updated:April 29, 2025, 10:59 IST
Canada Elections 2025: Jagmeet Singh of the NDP, who has lent support to the Khalistan movement, conceded defeat as he was trailing by thousands of votes in Burnaby Central.
Canada Elections 2025: NDP leader Jagmeet Singh announces his resignation. (Reuters)
Canada Elections 2025: In a big blow to Khalistani movement, New Democratic Party (NDP) leader Jagmeet Singh has announced that he will step down as party leader after conceding defeat in Burnaby Central in British Columbia, as poll data shows him trailing by thousands of votes to Liberal candidate Wade Chang.
He also congratulated Prime Minister Mark Carney on his election victory. “I want to take a moment to congratulate Prime Minister Carney on his victory. He has an important job to do — to represent all Canadians and to protect our country and its sovereignty from the threats of Donald Trump," he said to a cheering crowd at his riding.
Singh acknowledged that it was a “disappointing night for New Democrats" but said the party was “only defeated when we stop fighting". He also called it the “honour of my life" to serve as NDP leader.
“I am disappointed that we could not win more seats. But I am not disappointed in our movement. I am hopeful for our Party. I know that we will always choose hope over fear. New Democrats built this country. We have built the best of Canada. And we aren’t going anywhere," he added.
Jagmeet Singh was trailing to Liberal candidate Chang and Conservative candidate James Yan by margins of more than 10,000 votes in one of the biggest upsets of this year’s election, CBC data showed.
While final tallies are still being compiled, the NDP failed to secure even 12 seats, thus losing the party’s national status. The NDP contested on 343 seats, but secured just eight, as the polls closed.
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Big Blow For Khalistan Movement
Singh, who has backed the violent, extremist Khalistan movement, was a former coalition partner of Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau. Singh kept Trudeau’s minority Liberal government in power for more than two years in return for more social spending.
Intelligence sources in the past have revealed that Singh received donations from Khalistani terrorists such as Hardeep Singh Nijjar and Mo Dhaliwal.
Various reports suggest Singh is part of the Sikh community, which, though just two per cent of Canada’s population, has a massive influence on Canadian politics. Last September, Singh said he was “ripping up" a deal struck with Trudeau and withdrew his party’s support for the Liberal government.
Meanwhile, Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney’s Liberals retained power in the country’s election on Monday, but CTV News predicted they would fall short of the majority government he had wanted to help him negotiate tariffs with US President Donald Trump. Conservative leader Pierre Poilievre also conceded defeat and congratulated Carney.
The Liberals needed to win 172 of the House of Commons’ 343 electoral districts, known as seats, for a majority that would allow them to govern without support from a smaller party.
Location :Ottawa, Canada
First Published:April 29, 2025, 10:23 IST
News world Canada Election Results 2025: Jagmeet Singh Concedes Defeat, Steps Down As NDP Leader
