Canada elections: Jagmeet Singh, once Trudeau's kingmaker, quits as NDP leader after rout
Jagmeet Singh, the first person of an ethnic minority to lead a major political party in Canada, announced his resignation as leader of the New Democratic Party (NDP) late Monday night after a humiliating electoral wipeout that saw his party lose more than two-thirds of its seats — and its official status in Parliament.
Fighting back tears on stage at his Burnaby, British Columbia headquarters, Singh conceded not only personal defeat in his own riding of Burnaby Central, where he was trailing in third place, but also a broader rout for the party he had once hoped to lead to power.
'Obviously I know tonight is a disappointing night for New Democrats,' Singh said in his concession speech. 'We had really good candidates that lost tonight. I know how hard you worked. I spent time with you. You're amazing. I am so sorry you are not going to be able to represent your communities.'
The 46-year-old Sikh leader confirmed that he would step down as soon as an interim head is appointed. 'It's been the honour of my life to represent the people of Burnaby Central,' he said. 'Tonight they chose a new member of Parliament and I wish them well.'
In a tweet later, Singh reiterated his commitment to optimism despite the loss. 'I know this night is disappointing for New Democrats. But we are only defeated when we believe those that tell us we can never dream of a better Canada,' he posted, invoking 'Chardi Kala', the Sikh concept of maintaining high spirits in adversity.
I am disappointed that we could not win more seats.
But I am not disappointed in our movement.
I am hopeful for our Party.
I KNOW that we will always choose hope over fear.
— Jagmeet Singh (@theJagmeetSingh) April 29, 2025
Just two years ago, Singh was the powerbroker in Canadian politics — the kingmaker propping up former Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's minority government. But his decision to pull support from the Liberals in September 2024, amid a rising Conservative tide, failed to translate into electoral gains. Instead, it left the NDP exposed and adrift.
'They cannot be change, they cannot restore the hope, they cannot stop the Conservatives. But we can,' Singh had declared in a dramatic video message when ending the alliance. But that confidence was quickly overtaken by plunging poll numbers.
The New Democrats began the year polling at 19 per cent, but by the time the campaign launched in March, support had halved. Singh's early pledge to become Canada's next prime minister faded within weeks, as he publicly admitted that voters were turning elsewhere.
By Tuesday morning, the NDP was projected to hold just a handful of seats — far short of the 12 required to maintain official party status in the House of Commons.
In Ontario, the party was poised to be wiped out entirely, losing all five of its seats. In Manitoba, only one candidate was projected to retain the seat, while high-profile MPs trailed behind. Only three ridings showed signs of life, who were leading in their respective constituencies.
Singh first entered Parliament via a 2019 byelection in Burnaby South and was re-elected twice before the riding was redrawn as Burnaby Central.
New Democrats built this country.
We have built the best of Canada.
And we aren't going anywhere.
— Jagmeet Singh (@theJagmeetSingh) April 29, 2025
Despite the crushing loss, Singh closed his tweet with defiance and hope: 'New Democrats built this country. We have built the best of Canada. And we aren't going anywhere.'
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Hindustan Times
an hour ago
- Hindustan Times
Lesson from stampedes: Communication key to crowd control, say experts
This year, stampedes at a major railway station in Delhi, at the Maha Kumbh in Uttar Pradesh, and during a cricket match victory celebration in Karnataka have led to at least 72 deaths and a few hundred injuries so far — a grim statistic which exposes the glaring gaps in crowd regulation rules, official apathy and tokenistic governance. Action taken following these tragic, largely preventable deaths does little to avert such incidents in the future — after the June 4 stampede in Bengaluru, the state leadership, replicating the action of its counterparts in other parts of the country, suspending the city's top cop and other police staff, and ordered a magisterial inquiry. Later, the Karnataka high court also took suo motu notice. In light of these developments, HT spoke with veteran police officers, planners, urban designers, and academics to dissect the anatomy of stampedes and how to prevent them. Prakash Singh, a retired IPS officer who was the state police chief of Assam and Uttar Pradesh and the director-general of the Border Security Force, said the Bengaluru tragedy appears to be a case of overriding political desire overruling reservations from the police. Multiple reports, including by HT, suggest that the police had initially dismissed the idea of a parade due to paucity of time. But as some players from the overseas were scheduled to return home, there was a rush to hold the celebrations on June 4 itself, according to people aware of the matter. 'But this should have never been made part of the consideration. No event can be organised without the clearance from the police,' Singh said. The second issue, he pointed out, was the inconsistent messaging. 'There were multiple versions of when and where the parade will be held.' The most significant lapse, however, was the police's alleged failure to react when the crowd started trickling, Singh said. 'Around 200,000-300,000 people tried to make their way towards the stadium when the capacity was only 36,000. It was a policing failure, given that there are enough surveillance measures that would have indicated swelling of crowds.' Police should have, through existing intelligence and surveillance measures, prevented the crowd from converge from all directions. Another lapse was the inadequate deployment of forces, he added. 'Ideally, civic volunteers, armed battalions, and the fire brigade should have been mobilised. If there was fatigue, police from outside the commissionerate should have been engaged, he said. While Karnataka home minister G Parameshwara has announced that the government will formulate a new SOP for crowd control, these mechanisms are not alien to India, where heavy footfall events such as the Maha Kumbh are held regularly. They have been part of the police manual since colonial times, and even the National Disaster Management Agency (NDMA) has issued guidelines to manage crowds at events. To prevent stampedes, the administration — be it government, private organisers or temple trusts— should actively control the 'hype' through constant messaging, said Monika Vij, a geography professor at Delhi's Miranda House, who has researched extensively on crowd management at religious events. Referring to the Kumbh tragedy in January, where the official death toll was 30, she said, while the authorities made 'excellent arrangements', the hype of a historical event overshadowed everything. Authorities could not effectively communicate with the crowd when the stampede took place, she said. 'There has to be greater control and responsibility over disseminating information.' On the Bengaluru stampede, she said it was the 'lack of clarity over the venue and ticketing' which led to the tragedy. Similar confusion was seen at the February 15 stampede at the New Delhi Railway Station over train departures, Vij said. Another retired IPS officer Nazrul Islam, who was the ADGP in West Bengal, said a crowd, by default, is fuelled by frenzy and not rationality — be it a religious procession or a sports event. 'Visible, prompt policing is important to keep the crowd disciplined. Staggered movement of crowds is essential, and for that, checkpoints are installed in all directions from approaches to the event venue,' he said. KT Ravindran, founder of the Institute of Urban Designers India, said, for any kind of gathering, authorities must ensure that designing standards, such as entry and exit points and emergency exit, are followed. 'At any point in time, the potential to disperse should be higher than the potential to gather.' Ujan Ghosh, the former president of the institute, said the combined action of authorities, including police, along with the architecture, either prevents or causes a stampede. He also questioned if the Bengaluru stadium was the right choice as the venue for the cricket felicitation event. Spaces, such as streets and pavements, are often designed for specific purposes, he said, suggesting that stadiums are usually for ticketed events.
Time of India
an hour ago
- Time of India
Dhumma's Bluestar event messaging went beyond Gargaj, had a Patna Sahib outreach
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Time of India
an hour ago
- Time of India
Mann slams Akalis, calls SGPC a ‘golak committee'
1 2 3 Amritsar: Punjab chief minister Bhagwant Singh Mann accused the Akalis of allegedly manipulating the appointments of jathedars and reducing the Shiromani Gurdwara Prabandhak Committee (SGPC) to a mere 'Shiromani Golak Prabandhak Committee' out of their greed for money. Addressing a public gathering here on Sunday, Mann alleged that the Badals misused their political power to interfere in religious affairs, including manipulating the appointment of jathedars of Akal Takht to suit their personal interests. He also alleged that, driven by financial motives, the Akalis degraded the sanctity of the SGPC and misused both it and the Akal Takht for narrow political gains. Mann also accused them of twisting the directives of the Akal Takht to deceive the public and serve their own agendas. "Akalis not only looted the state exchequer but also funds belonging to religious institutions," he alleged, adding that their tenure was marked by political and religious exploitation, which caused significant harm to Punjab. The chief minister said the Akali leadership symbolises a legacy where the poor were neglected while the powerful looted the state with impunity. He went on to allege that the Akalis exploited the underprivileged and weaker sections of society, adding that they are now facing the consequences of their actions. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like People Born 1940-1975 With No Life Insurance Could Be Eligible For This Reassured Get Quote Undo SGPC hits back at Mann The Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC) has strongly objected to chief minister Bhagwant Singh Mann's remark referring to the SGPC as the 'Shiromani Golak Parbandhak Committee' during his address on Sunday. SGPC president Harjinder Singh Dhami said Mann's remarks are baseless, deeply hurt Sikh sentiments, and show utter disrespect towards the supreme gurdwara management body of the Sikh community. He said such a comment not only reflects Mann's intellectual bankruptcy but also exposes his arrogance and shallow mindset. Dhami emphasised that the SGPC is not just a gurdwara administrative body but also an ideal institution in the fields of social service and education. 'Neglected weaker sections' Chief minister Bhagwant Singh Mann on Sunday slammed traditional political parties for being insensitive to the welfare of economically weaker and underprivileged sections. He said, "these selfish leaders have always treated scheduled castes (SC) brethren merely as vote banks." Addressing the gathering, Mann said those who usurped money meant for the well-being of poor students under the post-matric scholarship scheme are now facing several health ailments. He mentioned that this money is now being spent on their treatment in hospitals, as they face the wrath of the Almighty. He said these former rulers of the state were completely insensitive to the problems of the common man. He remarked that the convent-educated leaders of previous governments never bothered to improve the level of education in the state, adding that the sole reason for this was that their own children studied in big private schools in the hills, while only the children of the common man attended government schools. In contrast, Mann said his government has been focusing on transforming the lives of the common people by providing them with quality education. SGPC committee meet on June 12 The meeting of the executive committee of the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC), which was earlier scheduled for June 9, will now be held on June 12, informed SGPC chief secretary Kulwant Singh Mannan in a release issued here on late Sunday said the meeting was postponed due to some important engagements and will be held on June 12 at 12 noon. He also informed that on the same day, at 3 pm, a meeting of the Dharam Parchar Committee will also be held. Mann reiterates Rs 67.8cr loan waiver CM Bhagwant Mann also reiterated his govt's move to waive loans amounting to Rs 67.84 crore disbursed by the Punjab Scheduled Castes Land Development & Finance Corporation (PSCFC) up to March 31, 2020, benefiting approximately 4,800 families. While addressing a gathering during a function to hand over certificates of loan waiver to the beneficiaries on Sunday, Mann said the waiver covered all loans disbursed by the PSCFC up to the mentioned date, offering significant relief to SC and divyangjan (persons with disabilities) loanees.
