Toronto: Pro-Khalistani leader Jagmeet Singh, leader of Canada's New Democratic Party (NDP), was defeated in the just-concluded Canadian federal elections and has resigned.
The elections saw Prime Minister Mark Carney’s Liberal Party emerging victorious.
Jagmeet Singh was defeated from the Burnaby Central seat in British Columbia, and his party could get only seven seats in the 343-member new parliament, thus losing its national political party status.
The NDP could get only two percent of the votes.
The New Democratic Party had 24 seats in the previous parliament.
After the results, Jagmeet Singh said, “I am disappointed that we could not win more seats, but I am not disappointed in our movement. I am hopeful for our party.”
Later, he announced that he would step down from the post of party chief. He remained president of the NDP for over eight years.
Jagmeet Singh has been a vocal supporter of Khalistani politics. His party was part of the ruling coalition with former Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's government, during which Trudeau hurled unproven allegations against India, including that New Delhi was involved in the killing of Khalistani leader Hardeep Singh Nijjar in British Columbia two years back. Relations between India and Canada went rapidly downhill under Trudeau.
