Jagmeet Singh’s Big Defeat In Canada Election Is Good News For India

Jagmeet Singh, the chief of Canada’s New Democratic Occasion and a recognized pro-Khalistan determine, has misplaced the 2025 Canadian federal election. His defeat has been seen as a welcome probability for India and Canada to reset diplomatic and commerce relations left frozen by allegations – from Mr Singh and former Prime Minister Justin Trudeau – that “brokers” of the previous have been concerned within the killing of Hardeep Nijjar.

Mr Singh – who had repeatedly, and with out proof, made such claims – didn’t defend his Burnaby Central Seat in British Columbia. He misplaced to the Liberal Occasion’s Wade Chang.

Mr Singh’s NDP – tipped as a ‘kingmaker’ on this closely-fought ballot – has additionally been overwhelmed.

Canadian media has predicted it should end a distant fourth; its seven seats putting it properly behind the Yves-Francois Blanchet-led Bloc Québécois’ 23 and 147 of Pierre Poilievre’s Conservatives.

The emphatic rejection of Mr Singh’s politics and management was underlined hours later by his resignation because the chief of the celebration, and by the NDP lose its standing as a nationwide celebration.

Below Canadian guidelines, a political celebration should maintain a minimum of 12 seats within the Home of Commons.

The 46-year-old mentioned he was “upset” the NDP couldn’t win extra seats.

In a publish on X he additionally mentioned, “It has been the honour of my life to guide the NDP, and to characterize the folks of Burnaby Central. Congratulations to Prime Minister Carney, and to all the opposite leaders on a hard-fought marketing campaign. I do know this night time is disappointing for New Democrats.”

It has been the honour of my life to guide the NDP, and to characterize the folks of Burnaby Central.

Congratulations to Prime Minister Carney, and to all the opposite leaders on a hard-fought marketing campaign.

I do know this night time is disappointing for New Democrats. 🧵

— Jagmeet Singh (@theJagmeetSingh) April 29, 2025

The winner is about to be the Liberal Occasion led by Prime Minister Mark Carney, which overcame the controversy generated by predecessor Justin Trudeau’s wild and unsubstantiated allegations about India being concerned within the assassination of Hardeep Singh Nijjar, a Khalistani terrorist.

Nijjar, a Canadian citizen, was gunned down outdoors a Vancouver gurdwara in June 2023.

The Nijjar Loss of life Row

His dying kickstarted a diplomatic row between India and Canada, a row analysts mentioned was powered, largely, due to the NDP’s help to Mr Trudeau’s minority authorities.

Mr Trudeau would go on to repeatedly accuse “brokers” of the Indian authorities of being concerned in Nijjar’s killing. In October final 12 months he doubled down, declaring these “brokers” have been working with prison gangs to “goal… particularly pro-Khalistani components” in Canada.

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At each occasion India strongly rejected the “preposterous imputations” and identified that since allegations have been first made – in September 2023 – the Canadian authorities had “didn’t share a shred of proof with the Authorities of India, regardless of many requests…”

Canada Targets, India Responds

In the meantime, as ties between the 2 international locations – which had bilateral commerce of over $9 billion in 2023 – worsened, New Delhi and Ottawa every expelled senior diplomats and recalled envoys.

The Indian authorities’s place was vindicated in January 2025 by a Canadian fee report that mentioned “no definitive hyperlink” with a “international state” within the killing of Nijjar might be “confirmed”.

By way of all of this, Jagmeet Singh’s voice was among the many most strident in critique of India and the Indian authorities, together with calling for bans on the RSS, i.e., the BJP’s ideological mentor.

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And he too saved claiming Ottawa had proof – “credible proof”, the time period used repeatedly by Justin Trudeau – of Indian authorities “brokers” involvement in Nijjar’s killing on Canadian soil.

That “proof”, nonetheless, by no means materialised. Actually, in October 2024 Mr Trudeau instructed an inquiry fee he had solely intel-based hypothesis for his “brokers” of Delhi declare.

Mr Trudeau’s allegations coincided with sliding political fortunes, and led to sharp observations by India about his administration – backed by Jagmeet Singh – permitting house to Khalistani separatist components. India instructed this meant Mr Trudeau was extra within the terrorists’ votes than the rule of regulation.

Canada – Jagmeet Singh = Good For India?

Jagmeet Singh’s position in all of this underlined how pivotal a determine he has been in Canadian politics. He was the primary PoC, or particular person of color, to guide a federal celebration and sometimes balanced energy in Parliament.

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His removing from the scene, a minimum of for now, will give Prime Minister Mark Carney and his Indian counterpart, Narendra Modi, to work collectively to revive India-Canada ties.