15 Punjabi-Origin Candidates Win as B.C. Conservatives Sweep to Powerਬ੍ਰਿਟਿਸ਼ ਕੋਲੰਬੀਆ ਵਿੱਚ 15 ਪੰਜਾਬੀ ਮੂਲ ਦੇ ਉਮੀਦਵਾਰ ਜਿੱਤੇ, ਕੰਜ਼ਰਵੇਟਿਵ ਸੱਤਾ ਵਿੱਚ

British Columbia has a new government, and Punjabi Canadians are a bigger part of it than ever. Fifteen candidates of Punjabi origin won seats in the provincial election held on Saturday, October 24, as the Conservative Party of British Columbia defeated the ruling New Democratic Party (NDP) to form the next government, The Indian Express reported on Sunday. Twelve of the 15 winners are Conservatives and three are from the NDP. Preliminary counts put the Conservatives leading in 64 of the province's 93 seats, against 27 for the NDP and two for the Green Party. The figures are not final, and the final count is expected in early November.

A snap election that changed the government

NDP leader David Eby called the election on September 22, nearly two years before it was due, saying he needed a stronger mandate amid economic uncertainty and the impact of US President Donald Trump's trade policies. The gamble failed. The Conservatives, led by interim leader Lorne Doerkson, who took over the party only on September 20, won a clear majority, and Doerkson is set to become the province's next premier. Reports said Eby conceded on election night and offered his resignation as NDP leader. In his victory speech, Doerkson promised to supercharge British Columbia's economy, naming Surrey, on its way to becoming the province's biggest city, among the places where he said that growth would happen.

Surrey flips to the Conservatives

The sharpest change came in Surrey, the city with one of the largest Punjabi populations in Canada, where Conservative candidates took several seats long held by the NDP. Mandeep Singh Dhaliwal retained Surrey North, the seat he won in 2024 by defeating then cabinet minister Rachna Singh. Dhaliwal, who immigrated from Punjab in his twenties, owns an auto glass business and was a national-level kabaddi player. Dr Harjit Taliwal won Surrey-Newton, a seat long held by the NDP; he is a business executive and educator who has served on the TransLink and BC SPCA boards. Garry Thind, a realtor and longtime Surrey school board trustee, won Surrey-Guildford, and engineer Zeeshan Wahla won Surrey City Centre after narrowly losing there in 2024. Garry Purewal, a business owner and former Canadian Armed Forces military police member, won Surrey-Fleetwood, defeating longtime NDP MLA Jagrup Brar.

Winners across the Lower Mainland and beyond

Elsewhere, Harman Bhangu retained Langley-Abbotsford and Jody Toor was re-elected in Langley-Willowbrook. Steve Kooner, a lawyer who has served as the Conservatives' shadow attorney general, retained Richmond-Queensborough. Monica Mohan, a North Delta lawyer with experience in police services and victim advocacy, won Delta North. Jessy Sahota, a Delta Police constable, wrestler and kabaddi player, won his first provincial election. Two more first-time MLAs are Pavneet Singh, an Okanagan entrepreneur who won Kelowna-Lake Country-Coldstream, and Deep Sandhu, a businessman, longshoreman and former Armed Forces reservist who won Vancouver-Fraserview.

The three NDP winners

The NDP's three Punjabi-origin winners are all experienced legislators who held their seats. Raj Chouhan retained Burnaby-New Westminster; born in Punjab, he immigrated to Canada in 1973, founded the Canadian Farmworkers' Union and has served as Speaker of the Legislative Assembly since 2020. Niki Sharma, the province's attorney general and deputy premier, retained Vancouver-Hastings. Rohini “Reah” Arora, a labour organiser first elected in 2024, retained Burnaby East.

A bigger Punjabi voice, in a new party

In the 2024 provincial election, 14 Punjabi-origin candidates were elected, nine from the NDP and five from the Conservatives. This time the total has risen to 15 and the balance has flipped, with the community's representation now concentrated in the governing party. For Punjabi families in Surrey, Abbotsford, Delta and across the Lower Mainland, that means their MLAs will sit on the government benches as the new administration sets its agenda on the economy, housing and public safety.

How many Punjabi-origin candidates won in British Columbia?

Fifteen: 12 Conservatives and three NDP candidates, up from 14 in the 2024 election, when nine of the winners were from the NDP.

Who will be British Columbia's next premier?

Lorne Doerkson, the Conservatives' interim leader since September 20, is set to become premier after leading the party to a majority. The preliminary count gives the Conservatives 64 of 93 seats.

Why was the election called early?

NDP leader David Eby called it on September 22, nearly two years early, saying he needed a stronger mandate to deal with economic uncertainty and US trade policies. His party lost, and reports said he offered his resignation as NDP leader.