Canada Elections: Pro-Khalistan leader Jagmeet Singh steps down; NDP loses party status

Jagmeet Singh, the leader of Canada’s New Democratic Party (NDP) and a vocal supporter of Khalistan—a separatist Sikh movement, announced on Tuesday that he will step down as party leader.
This comes after the results of the 45th federal election, where Singh not only lost his parliamentary seat of Burnaby Central in British Columbia—finishing third—but also saw his party lose its official status after failing to win the minimum 12 seats required in the House of Commons.
Singh announced his abdication on social media, saying, “It’s been the honour of my life to lead the NDP and to represent the people of Burnaby Central. I am disappointed that we could not win more seats. But I am not disappointed in our movement. I know that we will always choose hope over fear.”

Meanwhile, Mark Carney’s Liberal Party returned to power in Canada after the election results on Tuesday. Carney, who took over from Justin Trudeau after internal party dissent, had called an early election seeking a fresh mandate.
Carney has attempted to shift the country’s foreign policy tone. Unlike Trudeau, whose relations with India soured after accusing New Delhi of involvement in pro-Khalistan leader Hardeep Singh Nijjar’s killing, Carney has spoken in favour of restoring diplomatic ties.
After the recent terror attack in Pahalgam, Carney extended his condolences to the victims, signalling a possible change in approach.