Punjabis are everywhere, and they are in Canada as well. Not surprisingly, the upcoming general elections in Canada will see several Punjabi-origin candidates contesting for a seat in the Canadian Parliament.
Compared to the 2011 elections, the number of Punjabi-origin candidates this year is likely to be nearly double.
Political parties across the spectrum in Canada are roping in Punjabi-origin Canadians to contest on their tickets, especially in the constituencies where large chunk of the electorate have roots in Punjab. So far, tickets of 23 Punjabi-origin candidates have been confirmed, sources told MAIL TODAY.
The three main political parties in Canada-the Liberal Party of Canada, the Conservative Party and the New Democratic Party-have formulated a clear strategy of wooing the Punjabi community. “And to do that these political parties are all set to field more and more candidates of Punjabiorigin,” said Conservative MP Devinder Shory. “Compared to the last elections, the number of Punjabi-origin candidates is likely to increase this year,” Shory added.
Over the last few elections, the number of Punjabi-origin MPs in Parliament has decreased. While in 2006 there were 10 Punjabi-origin MPs, the number fell to eight in 2011. But, this trend can change this time with the Liberal Party racing ahead of other parties in the surveys. The Liberal Party is known to field more Punjabiorigin candidates in the elections.
The general elections in Canada are slated for October 19. Among the noted Punjabi-origin politicians likely to contest are Mani Kaur, Joginder Kaur, Navdeep Singh Bains, Shinder Purewal and Bill Sandhu.
