Jagmeet Singh, once a kingmaker in Canadian politics, resigned Tuesday as NDP leader, after enduring a personal defeat in his own election campaign and a catastrophic loss for his party.
The NDP, which held 24 seats in the House of Commons prior to Monday's election, dropped to a projected seven, with Singh's loss in his Burnaby Central riding contributing to the party's near extinction.
I'm sad we couldn't win more seats, but not sad about our movement," Singh told his base. He also added that he would step down as leader after a new leader of the party is elected.
Singh, a full-time lawyer by profession, had been the NDP leader since 2017, having emerged victorious in the leadership contest and later a seat in parliament in 2019. The NDP, under his leadership, provided crucial support to then-Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's Liberal Party, which did not have a majority. In the previous year, however, Singh withdrew the NDP's support for Trudeau's government, contributing to the eventual resignation of the prime minister.
The NDP's decline was during a string of challenges, including the loss of popular support as the party got caught in the crossfire of external events. In particular, the party was victimized by the impact of US President Donald Trump's tariff war against Canada, which steered Canadian voters towards the embattled Liberal Party as a shield against American pressure. The NDP's election support, which had been 17.4 percent earlier in the year, fell to a mere 8.1 percent by the day of the election.
Singh, a vocal Khalistan sympathizer supporter, also caused more controversy with his foreign policy stances, particularly against India. Last year, Singh requested Trudeau to sanction India for alleged Indian involvement in attacks on Khalistan sympathizers and called for Indian diplomats to be expelled, which Trudeau subsequently did.
Singh also condemned the Indian government's reaction to Khalistani terror, like an undiplomatic attack on a Hindu temple in Brampton, Ontario, where there were worshippers who were targeted. "What we have to see is the end to the violence; we have to see a strong stand against the Indian government," Singh stated then.
Even after resignation, Singh's departure is a significant achievement for the NDP whose role in Canadian politics has been significantly minimized following this election.
Read also| Israel Dismisses Five-Year Truce Proposal with Hamas, According to State Media
