Ottawa:
Canadian politician Jagmeet Singh was formally replaced as the New Democratic Party (NDP) chief on Monday evening after the party chose Vancouver-area MP Don Davies as its interim leader. A known pro-Khalistan figure, Singh had resigned after the NDP’s humiliating defeat in the Canada federal election on April 28.
The announcement came following a meeting of the NDP national council after consultation with its caucus. The Party, in a statement on Monday night, said Davies will work closely with caucus, council and party members to set a path forward as preparations begin for the leadership race in the coming months.
Davies has served as an MP since 2008 and won his Vancouver Kingsway seat in last week’s federal election with 37.2 per cent of the vote. He was previously the NDP’s finance critic and was also part of the National Security and Intelligence Committee of Parliamentarians.
Jagmeet Singh’s Exit
Jagmeet Singh, who entered politics in 2011 after being elected to the Ontario provincial parliament, had been the leader of the NDP since 2017. He was the first person of colour to head a Federal party in Canada.
The 46-year-old resigned on election night after the NDP’s historic rout, as it could only manage to bag just seven seats, down from 25 in the 2021 election. The party lost its official status in the new House of Commons, with fewer than the requisite 12 seats.
Singh also lost his own Burnaby Central seat in Ottawa, which he had held since February 2019. He was placed third with just 18.18 per cent of the votes, behind the winner from the Liberal Party and the Conservative Party candidate.
The NDP’s rout in the polls was, in parts, attributed to Singh’s decision to go ahead with a supply and confidence agreement with the then minority government headed by former Prime Minister Justin Trudeau in March 2022. For years, NDP, under Singh’s leadership, played the balancing act in the Parliament, propping up Trudeau’s minority government while his approval rating dipped.
After much pressure, Trudeau resigned in January, but Singh was not able to shake off the association of having kept that unpopular Government in power so long.
The former NDP chief also often attracted criticism over his stance towards Khalistani extremism. In 2013, the Prime Minister Manmohan Singh-led Indian government had denied him a visa to visit Amritsar, the city that is home to the Golden Temple, one of the holiest places for Sikhs.
