In a historic election, Indian-origin candidates with roots in Punjab have achieved a record 14 seats in the 93-member British Columbia assembly, surpassing the previous high of nine in the last election. The New Democratic Party (NDP) maintained its hold with 46 seats, while the Conservative Party secured 45, and the Green Party claimed two seats. The Greens are now positioned to influence the formation of the next government in British Columbia.
Prominent winners include former housing minister Ravi Kahlon and former attorney-general Niki Sharma. Kahlon, a former field hockey player, represented Canada in the 2000 and 2008 Summer Olympics before entering politics. “A lot of people worked hard today to pull the vote,” Sharma remarked to the Vancouver Sun, acknowledging the tight race.
Jagrup Brar, the minister of state for trade, achieved a record by winning the Surrey-Fleetwood seat for the seventh time. Originally from Bathinda, Punjab, Brar was part of India’s national basketball team before moving to Canada for studies at the University of Manitoba, where he earned a master’s in public administration. He later relocated to Surrey, where he focused on career and entrepreneurship development for non-profit organizations, including leading the Surrey Self Employment and Entrepreneur Development Society.
Veteran Raj Chauhan secured the Burnaby-Westminster seat for the sixth time, maintaining his undefeated record since 2005. The NDP’s Sunita Dhir won the Vancouver-Langara seat, a Liberal stronghold for over 30 years, with 48.2% of the vote, narrowly defeating the Conservative candidate.
Jessie Sunner of the NDP won in Surrey-Newton, succeeding former MLA Harry Bains, who retired after holding the seat since 2005. The youngest MLA, Ravi Parmar, 30, claimed victory in the newly established Langford-Highlands seat with 51% of the vote, motivated by his parents’ challenges after migrating to Canada in the 1990s.
In a surprising outcome, education minister Rachna Singh was defeated by Conservative Party leader Mandeep Dhaliwal in Surrey-North. Dhaliwal, a former kabaddi player from Punjab who came to Canada in his 20s, gained attention for raising $100,000 for Khalsa Aid through a motorcycle ride from Canada to India. Jinny Sims, another Indian-origin candidate, lost in Surrey-Panorama.
Reah Arora won in Burnaby East, where she serves as the Director of Organizing at the BC Federation of Labour. Harwinder Kaur Sandhu successfully retained her seat in Vernon-Monashee, having previously worked as a registered nurse and been active in the BC Nurses’ Union.
Harman Singh Bhangu won in Langley-Abbotsford, bringing 15 years of experience in heavy-load trucking and minor league football coaching. Conservative leader Honveer Singh Randhawa won Surrey-Guildford, and newcomer Jody Toor, who owns an integrative holistic clinic, secured a seat in Langley. Steve Kooner from the Conservative Party won Richmond-Queensborough, often sharing stories about his father, a well-known Punjabi recording artist from the 1980s.
The election saw a fierce competition between the incumbent NDP and the rising Conservative Party for control of the 93 contested seats, with at least 47 required to form a majority government. Campaign issues included healthcare, the cost of living, and public safety. The results have provided the NDP with two additional seats in Vancouver compared to the nine they won in 2020.
