SHUV (Shuvaloy) Majumdar has become the third Conservative MP of South Asian origin, following his win in Monday’s byelection in the riding of Calgary Heritage in Alberta.
The other two South Asian Conservative MPs are Tim Uppal (Edmonton Mill Woods) and Jasraj Singh Hallan (Calgary Forest Lawn).
Most of Calgary Heritage was once part of Calgary Southwest, a riding held by former prime minister Stephen Harper. The byelection was called when Conservative MP Bob Benzen decided to quit.
Majumdar bagged 65.5 per cent (15,803 votes) of the total votes.
Liberal candidate Elliot Weinstein won 3,463 votes (14.4 %) and the NDP’s Gurmit Bhachu garnered 3,425 votes (14.2 %). Just over 28 per cent of eligible voters cast their ballots.
Majumdar is the son of Indian-origin immigrants to Canada.
According to his website, “his 25 years of conservative activism started with the Reform Party in the late 1990s, continuing on to work with Preston Manning in building the conservative movement.”
Early in his career, Majumdar was called to serve in leadership roles promoting democratic reform in Afghanistan and Iraq.
This experience led him to work with Stephen Harper in government and business over the last 12 years – currently at Harper and Associates in energy, technology and investment in the business world.
Before that, he was foreign policy advisor to both Harper and Conservative foreign affairs minister John Baird.
He’s been “a friend and colleague of [Conservative Leader] Pierre Poilievre since their time at the University of Calgary.”