NDP’s Jagmeet Singh suffers disappointing defeat in Canada elections

Canada: A Pro-Khalistani Jagmeet Singh’s New Democratic Party (NDP) suffered a disappointing defeat in the Canada elections, securing only seven seats in parliament.  Singh, who was eyeing his third win has failed to retain his own seat from Burnaby Central in British Columbia to Liberal candidate, Wade Chang. 

A 43-year-old leader who was quite vocal for Khalistan movement has failed to resonate with voters in Canada as his party saw a major decline and is set to lose its national status. Notably, the political parties in the country are required to secure at least 12 seats, however, they failed to secure the mark. 

The Canada elections results have been devastating for the NDP as Jagmeet Singh’s Khalistan approach has been rejected by the population. The result showcased that the Sikh population who are residing in Canada have prioritized the developmental sector over such religious movements. 

The election results concluded that an overwhelming majority of Sikh Canadians do not support the Khalistan movement, and that only a vocal minority influences public perceptions. The approach of Jagmeet Singh has been firmly rejected by the Sikh population in the elections as the party has even failed to retain their previous 22 seats in the parliament. The results outlined that the majority of the population of Canada are not in the favour of Khalistani approach as this is supported by just minor faction of the society. 

Notably, a comprehensive report has been circulating on the social media, showcasing immigration trends of Canada over the past decade. As per the reports, Sikhs are a significant minority in Canada: during the 2021 census, 771,790 people in Canada identified as Sikh by religion. This amounts to approximately 2.1% of the Canadian population, making Canada’s Sikh community the second largest in the world after India’s (indeed, more Sikhs now live in Canada than in any other country outside India). 

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Give the size and visibility of Canada’s Sikh Community, the report indicated that only a small minority of Sikh Canadians support the Khalistan movement, and an even smaller number could be considered ardent or active proponents. The report noted that, to put it in perspective, Canada’s ~770,000 Sikhs represent about 2% of the country’s population and roughly 40% of the Indian diaspora in Canada. However, within this Sikh population, pro-Khalistan sentiment is limited to a single-digit percentage. 

As per the report, credible observers and community leaders consistently suggest that the vast majority (over 90%) of Sikh Canadians do not support the separatist cause.

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Jagmeet Singh, chief of NDP also expressed disappointment and would step down as party leader once an interim leader is appointed.