NDP could form government with support of BC Greens: NDP 46, BC Conservative Party 45, BC Green Party 2
– Vancouver: 11 of 12 ridings won by NDP
– Surrey: 7 of 10 ridings won by BC Conservatives
– Richmond: 3 of 4 ridings won by BC Conservatives
– Burnaby: all 5 ridings won by NDP
– Tri-Cities & New Westminster: all 5 ridings won by NDP
– West Vancouver: 1 riding won by BC Greens, 1 by BC Conservatives
– North Vancouver: both ridings won by NDP
– Abbotsford, Langley & Chilliwack: all 8 ridings won by BC Conservatives
BRITISH Columbians are deeply divided as the preliminary results of the election show, and the NDP will once again have to woo the BC Greens if they are to form the next government.
But the question is: How long will that government survive?
We will have to wait and see.
ACCORDING to the preliminary results that Elections BC had declared till midnight on Saturday, there will be 15 South Asian MLAs: 10 from the NDP and five from the B.C. Conservative Party. (Out-of-district ballots are still being counted).
Prominent South Asians who lost included Education Minister Rachna Singh, Baltej Dhillon, the first RCMP officer to be allowed to wear a turban as part of his uniform, Aman Singh, the Parliamentary Secretary for Environment, and former minister Jinny Sims.
NDP MLA’S-ELECT
Raj Chouhan (Burnaby-New Westminster)
Raj Chouhan, the first South Asian person to serve as Speaker of the House in the BC legislature, was re-elected with 10,258 votes (59.77% of the total vote). Raj moved to Canada in 1973, and has spent his career fighting for regular people. Elected five times as MLA, Raj is He is the founding President of the Canadian Farmworkers’ Union and the founding member of the BC Organization to Fight Racism.
Niki Sharma (Vancouver Hastings)
Niki Sharma, the first woman of colour to serve as BC’s Attorney General, was re-elected. She won 13,697 votes (64.06% of the total vote). Niki was a lawyer whose practice focused on representing Indigenous people, including residential school survivors. As BC’s Attorney General, she led efforts to make online spaces safer, introduced a nation-leading Anti-Racism act and led the largest expansion of family law legal aid in BC history. Prior to serving in government, Niki was elected to the Board of Vancity Credit Union, where she served as Vice-Chair and chaired the Climate Justice Working Group. She also served as Chair of the Vancouver Board of Parks and Recreation.
Harwinder Sandhu (Vernon-Lumby)
Harwinder Sandhu, the Parliamentary Secretary for Seniors’ Services and Long-Term Care, was re-elected with 11,528 votes (42.50% of the total vote). Harwinder was elected the MLA for Vernon-Monashee in 2020. Prior to being elected, Harwinder was a registered nurse at Vernon Jubilee Hospital, community nursing and worked as a patient care coordinator. An active member of the BC Nurses’ Union, she served as Provincial Chair of the Mosaic of Colour caucus and as a lobby coordinator. Harwinder worked with Northern Health at Mills Memorial Hospital in Terrace for over seven years before moving to Vernon.
Ravi Kahlon (Delta North)
Ravi Kahlon, Minister of Jobs, Economic Recovery and Innovation and Government House Lead, was re-elected with 10,692 votes (52.52% of the total vote). Ravi and his family have lived in Delta for more than 202 years and have deep roots in the community. A two-time Olympian for Team Canada in field hockey and inductee in the Delta Sports Hall of Fame, Kahlon was elected twice in 2017 and 2020.
Jagrup Brar (Surrey Fleetwood)
Jagrup Brar, who serves as the Minister of State for Trade, was re-elected with 9,574 votes (48.24% of the total vote). His BC Conservative rival, Avtar Singh, put up a good fight, garnering 8,988 votes (45.28% of the total vote). Elected five times as an MLA, Jagrup has represented people in Surrey for decades. As the past Executive Director of the Surrey Self Employment and Entrepreneur Development Society (SEEDS), Jagrup trained new entrepreneurs to develop and launch successful small businesses. Born in India, Jagrup was a member of the Indian National Basketball team and earned a master’s degree in Philosophy. He then moved to Canada to study Public Administration and received an MPA.
Ravi Parmar (Langford-Highlands)
Ravi Parmar, the MLA for Langford-Juan de Fuca and the youngest representative in the BC legislature, was re-elected with 10,940 (51.45% of the total vote). As Chair of the Sooke School Board, he worked with John Horgan and the BC NDP government to deliver the largest expansion of public schools in the district’s history, including new schools like Centre Mountain Lellum Middle School and PEXSISEN Elementary School.
Reah Arora (Burnaby East)
Reah Arora won 10,058 votes (51.50% of the total vote). Reah has strong, deep roots in Burnaby. She grew up in Burnaby East’s Westridge neighbourhood where her family ran a small business for more than a decade. Reah became a trade unionist and a member of the United Steelworkers local 2009, eventually joining the BC Federation of Labour as the Director of Organizing.
Sunita Dhir (Vancouver-Langara)
Sunita Dhir won 8,111 votes (48.11% of the total vote). For the last 32 years, Sunita has been an integral part of the south Vancouver and Marpole communities. With nearly two decades of service at SUCCESS, a non-profit organization that supports newcomers on their settlement journey, Sunita has helped hundreds of people learn English and connect to their new communities here in BC. She strongly supports workers’ rights in British Columbia and champions fair and equitable treatment for all.
Jessie Sunner (Surrey Newton)
Jessie Sunner won 7,632 votes (50.79% of the total vote). Her B.C. Conservative rival Tegjot Bal garnered 6,506 votes (43.30% of the total vote). Jessie, as a trade unionist and human rights lawyer for the Hospital Employees’ Union, has fought for workers’ rights, fair wages, and a stronger healthcare system. She is also a strong advocate in her community, serving as Vice President of the Surrey Women’s Centre, and on the boards of the South Asian Bar Association, the BC Canadian Bar Association Human Rights Law Section, and the BC College of Social Workers. Previously she served on the boards of the Surrey Police Board and the United Nations Association in Canada.
Amna Shah (Surrey City Centre)
Amna Shah was elected with 6,439 (46.24% of the total vote). Her Conservative rival Zeeshan Wahla garnered 6,343 votes (45.55% of the total vote). Amna has called Surrey home for nearly 20 years. She worked with BC’s Ministry of Housing, where she helped move forward affordable housing policies and projects — many of which have become law and are in effect today. She became a dedicated volunteer at the Surrey Food Bank, where she now serves on the Board of Directors. In this role, she’s helped expand distribution services across Surrey, helping to make sure that people and families using the food bank can get the nutritious food they need in a supportive, dignified environment.
BC CONSERVATIVE MLA’S-ELECT
Harman Bhangu (Langley-Abbotsford)
Harman Bhangu, who thrashed former Liberal MP John Aldag by more than 5,600 votes, was elected with 14,042 votes (55.85% of the total vote). He was born in Surrey to an immigrant family. He has 17 years of experience in the heavy-load trucking industry. As an aggregate hauler, he handles operations and bids for contracts. He has dedicated hundreds of hours both as a player and a coach for minor league football. He is married to Courtney, and they have two young children.
Mandeep Dhaliwal (Surrey-North)
Mandeep Dhaliwal, who defeated Education Minister Rachna Singh, garnered 7,728 votes (51.18% of the total vote). He defeated Education Minister Rachna Singh who won 6,467 votes (42.83% of vthe total vote). Mandeep migrated to Canada in his 20s. He completed his Bachelor of Arts degree in group humanity in India, where as a national-level kabaddi player, he secured a gold medal in an inter-college tournament. In Canada, he became a small business owner, establishing Fixman Auto Glass Repair and Fixman Auto Glass Supplier in Surrey.
He is a member of the BC Sikh Motorcycle Club, engaging in rides that contribute to the community. His wife Pawan is a Registered Nurse, and they have a son, Diltaj.
Jody Toor (Langley-Willowbrook)
Jody Toor was elected with 10,591 votes (48.50% of the total vote). She defeated Andrew Mercier, Minister of State for Sustainable Forestry, who won 9,630 votes (44.10% of the total vote). Born in Langley, Jody has deep roots in the community and has been running her own integrative holistic clinic in Langley. She is married to Dr. Charn Toor who has his optometry clinic in Walnut Grove and they have two daughters, Nya and Jaya. She holds a double PhD in Doctor of Integrative Medicine and Doctor of Humanitarian Services with the Board Of Integrative Medicine, non-prescribing and is not registered with the College of Physicians and Surgeons of British Columbia.
Steve Kooner (Richmond-Queensborough)
Steve Kooner, who defeated the Parliamentary Secretary for Environment, Aman Singh, won 9,864 votes (51.20% of the total vote). Aman Singh garnered 8,442 votes (43.82% of the total vote). Steve is a well-known successful lawyer who has owned his own law firm, Steve Kooner Law Corporation, for over 17 years. He has a Bachelor of Arts degree with a Major in Political Science from Simon Fraser University and a Juris Doctor law degree from the University of Calgary. Steve and his law firm have received legal service awards such as Three Best Rated Award and Consumer Choice Award in recent years.
Honveer Singh Randhawa (Surrey-Guildford)
Honveer Singh Randhawa, who defeated NDP MLA Garry Begg, won 8,671 votes (47.14% of the total vote). Begg garnered 8,569 votes (46.58% of the total vote). Honveer is a lawyer who says he is committed to offering significant pro-bono services, thereby ensuring others with limited finances have the opportunity to right the wrongs with the help of the judicial system. Honveer and his family immigrated to Canada when he was 14 years old. He obtained his law degree from the University of Manitoba.
