Close X
Wednesday, January 15, 2025
ADVT 
National

40 Indian-Origin Candidates In Fray In Canada's Federal Election

Darpan News Desk IANS, 18 Oct, 2015 01:32 PM
    Forty Indo-Canadians are in the fray in Monday's election to the 338-member parliament on Monday.
     
    There were eight Indo-Canadian MPs in the outgoing 308-member House of Commons. But this could go up this time as the three main parties - the Tories, Liberal Party and the New Democratic Party - have fielded 40 Indo-Canadians, including all the incumbents.
     
    Among the incumbents is the longest-serving Indo-Canadian MP Deepak Obhrai, who is also parliamentary secretary to the minister of foreign affairs.
     
    Also in the fray are the outgoing minister of state for sports Bal Gosal and the minister of state for multiculturalism Tim Uppal.
     
    Interestingly, there is a direct fight between Indo-Canadian candidates in as many as 10 constituencies. 
     
    The direct fights are taking places in constituencies - or ridings as they are called - with huge Indo-Canadian population such as Brampton, Surrey, Calgary and Edmonton.
     
    Apart from the 40 Indo-Canadians fielded by the three main parties, a couple of Indo-Canadians are in the fray as independents.
     
    After the longest ever election campaign of 11 weeks in Canadian history, Monday's vote will elect 338 members to the House of Commons - up from 308 in 2011 as 30 more constituencies have been added this time.
     
     
    Numbering about 1.2 million, Indo-Canadians make up more than three percent of Canada's population of about 35 million and have become a significant political force.
     
    Canada elected its first Indian-origin MP in 1993 when turbaned Sikh Gurbax Malhi won from the Toronto-area.
     
    Malhi's election opened the gates for other Indo-Canadians. In fact, current parliamentary secretary Obhrai, first elected in 1997, is seeking his seventh term in the Canadian parliament from Calgary. 
     
    Canada also has the distinction of appointing an Indian-origin person as a full-fledged cabinet minister anywhere in the Western world when Herb Dhaliwal became the federal revenue minister in 1997.

    MORE National ARTICLES

    Police Investigating Possible Cases Of Animal Cruelty In Fredericton

    Police Investigating Possible Cases Of Animal Cruelty In Fredericton
    "The cat's head was resting on her front paws as if she was sound asleep. It was definitely posed that way," Nixon said Tuesday from his home in Fredericton.

    Police Investigating Possible Cases Of Animal Cruelty In Fredericton

    Harper Promises Dairy Industry Will Be Protected In Any Pacific Trade Deal

    Harper Promises Dairy Industry Will Be Protected In Any Pacific Trade Deal
    The long-awaited 12-country Trans-Pacific Partnership is shaping up to be a dominant theme on the campaign trail this week, with speculation rampant that a deal is finally taking shape.

    Harper Promises Dairy Industry Will Be Protected In Any Pacific Trade Deal

    Depression, No Support Cited At Inquest Into Deaths Of Mother And Autistic Son

    Depression, No Support Cited At Inquest Into Deaths Of Mother And Autistic Son
    The hearing began Monday examining the April 3, 2014 death of severely autistic 16-year-old Robert Robinson and the suicide of his 39-year-old mother, Angie Robinson.

    Depression, No Support Cited At Inquest Into Deaths Of Mother And Autistic Son

    Dream Of Playing In Football Game Comes True For Boy With Cerebral Palsy

    Dream Of Playing In Football Game Comes True For Boy With Cerebral Palsy
    Mark Sulymka is the coach of the Griffins Atom team, and he heard all about Logan Tonge from his regular players who have gone to school with him since kindergarten.

    Dream Of Playing In Football Game Comes True For Boy With Cerebral Palsy

    CBC wins International news Emmy award for Ebola coverage in Liberia

    CBC wins International news Emmy award for Ebola coverage in Liberia
    More than 11,280 people have been reported to have died worldwide from Ebola, according to data released by the World Health Organization earlier this month.

    CBC wins International news Emmy award for Ebola coverage in Liberia

    Medical Marijuana Seems To Help Chronic Pain Patients, Appears To Be Safe: Study

    Medical Marijuana Seems To Help Chronic Pain Patients, Appears To Be Safe: Study
    Dr. Mark Ware, the Montreal pain specialist who led the national study, says medical cannabis appears to have a reasonable safety profile when taken by patients who are experienced users.

    Medical Marijuana Seems To Help Chronic Pain Patients, Appears To Be Safe: Study