Brown candidates being replaced by white ones!

OVER the weekend, BC Conservative Leader John Rustad forced out the second of two South Asian women running in Surrey to make room for his preferred candidates.

The NDP noted that Rustad booted Dupinder Saran on Monday from Surrey-Panorama to make room to move over the White Rock candidate, Bryan Tepper.

Jody Toor was earlier bumped from Surrey-Cloverdale to Langley to make room for Elenore Sturko. Rustad moved Toor when it would have made more sense to move Brent Chapman, who is running Sturko’s home riding of Surrey South, the NDP pointed out.

“John Rustad could have dropped Bryan Tepper or Brent Chapman, but forced out two South Asian women instead,” said BC NDP MLA Jinny Sims on Tuesday. “It says a lot about who he’s willing to make space for, and who he isn’t.”

Saran posted to social media about candidates being bullied out by Rustad.

Saran wrote on X: “As a candidate in Surrey – Panorama, I witnessed a Conservative candidate in Whiterock being bullied into leaving their riding & to choose either the Fleetwood or Panorama riding. I could no longer watch this drama unfold & did the right thing by moving to a side, to make room for the Whiterock candidate. I will now be running Independent in my riding. The Provincial Conservative Party is now a Liberal Party running under the Conservative Banner. Thank you to all my supporters. The work carries on just under a different banner. My own & that of my teams.”

Sims says this shows a pattern of Rustad giving South Asian candidates the short end of the stick.

“South Asian representation in Surrey is important, but John Rustad has twice forced out South Asian candidates in favour of white [candidates],” said Sims. “Why is he only sacrificing the South Asian candidates?”

Later, Saran wrote on X: “Thank you to my opposition for taking a stand, however I politely disagree in trying to portray me as a victim, which is not the case. My situation is completely different than the @Conservative_BC candidate Jody Toor. [Regardless] of the situation, the best way to rectify the situation is to vote for candidates like me to stop this discrimination & provide an answer back to those who try to play chess of candidates.”