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British Columbia elections – Fifteen candidates of Indian origin make it to provincial Parliament
Overall, the Green Party, leading in two seats, may turn kingmakers as the outgoing ruling party was leading on 46 seats and the Conservatives with their ever best show in BC provincial elections were leading or winning 45 seats.
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Mandeep Dhaliwal, Nikki Sharma and Ravi Kahlon emerged as winners. /
Indian-origin candidates won a record number of 15 seats;despite some of their prominent candidates, including Education and Child Welfare Minister, Rachna Singh, and the first turbaned Sikh to sit in the BC Assembly, Aman Singh, losing.
Never before, the Indian Diaspora has fared so well in the provincial elections. It is for the first time that the number of successful candidates is in double figures.
Overall, the Green Party, leading in two seats, may turn kingmakers as the outgoing ruling party was leading on 46 seats and the Conservatives with their ever best show in BC provincial elections were leading or winning 45 seats. For a clear majority in the 93-member House, NDP or Conservatives will have to turn to Green Party to reach the magic figure of 47.
Interestingly, while almost every eighth of 243 candidates in the run for the British Columbia Provincial Parliament was of Indian origin, every sixth member of the new Parliament will be of Indian descent.
Two times Olympian Ravi Kahlon; first woman of Indian origin to become Attorney General in the province, Nikki Sharma; first South Asian to become Speaker, Raj Chauhan; and former Indian basketball player, Jagrup Brar, were among the successful candidates.
A former Kabaddi player Mandeep Dhaliwal defeated Rachna Singh in a major upset in a contest featuring candidates of Punjabi origin.
Candidates of Indian origin elected in the just concluded election are Nikki Sharma, Ravi Kahlon, Mandeep Dhaliwal, Jody Toor, Reah Arora, Raj Chauhan, Ravi Parmar, Harman Bhangu, Amna Shah, Jagrup Brar, H.S. Randhawa, Jessie Sunner, Harwinder Sandhu, Steve Kooner, and Sunita Dhir.
The new winners represent both the ruling NDP and the main opposition Conservative Party. Ten of the 15 MPPs (also called MLAs) elected to new British Columbia Provincial Parliament (Assembly), 10 represent NDP and the remaining Conservatives.
Incidentally, it is a record performance by the BC Conservatives as they never won so many seats in the provincial elections. There were two ridings – Surrey Newton and Surrey North – where all the contestants were of Indian origin.
In Surrey Newton, besides winner Jessie Sunner, others in the fray were broadcaster Tegjot Bal, Japreet Lehal; Joginder Singh Randhawa, and Amrit Birring.
In Surrey North, where Mandeep Dhaliwal surprised a sitting Minister, Rachna Singh, other contestants were Kiran Hundal, Hobby Nijjar, and Sam Sandhu.
Incidentally, three sportsmen, all of Punjabi descent - Ravi Kahlon, Jagrup Brar and Mandeep Dhaliwal - figure in the list of successful candidates.
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