As Ontario heads to the polls, 37 candidates of Indian descent are contesting in the provincial election, with the Indo-Canadian community hopeful of surpassing its best tally of 11 legislators in the Assembly.
Despite an overall decline in the number of candidates and political parties, the political enthusiasm among Indo-Canadians remains strong. All sitting Indian-origin members of the outgoing Assembly are in the fray, including Prabhmeet Singh Sarkaria, Amarjit Singh Sandhu, Hardeep Grewal, Nina Tangri, and Deepak Anand, who held key positions in the Doug Ford government.
A notable trend in this election is the entry of several new faces into Ontario’s political landscape. Among the first-time candidates are Shafoli Kapur, an immigration consultant, and Ranjit Singh Bagga, a businessman who owns multiple golf courses in the Greater Toronto Area.
The New Blue Party, a relatively new player in Ontario politics, has also fielded Indian-origin candidates, while the Green Party has once again nominated four candidates from the community.
The results of the February 27 election will be closely watched by the Indo-Canadian community, which is eager to expand its political representation in the province.
Complete List of Indian-origin Candidates
Progressive Conservatives:
- Deepak Anand – Mississauga-Malton
- Hardeep Grewal – Brampton East
- Logan Kanapathi – Markham-Thornhill
- Prabhmeet Singh Sarkaria – Brampton South
- Nina Tangri – Mississauga-Streetsville
- Amarjot Sandhu – Brampton West
- Vijay Thanigasalan – Scarborough-Rouge Park
New Democrats:
- Sonali Chakraborty – Scarborough Centre
- Raymond Bhushan – Richmond Hill
- Thadsa Navaneethan – Scarborough North
- Rajni Sharma – Brampton South
- Martin Singh – Brampton East
- Sukhamrit Singh – Brampton Centre
Liberals:
- Anita Anandrajan – Scarborough North
- Ranjit Singh Bagga – Brampton North
- Nirmala Armstrong – Markham-Thornhill
- Viresh Bansal – Oshawa
- Vicky Dhillon – Brampton East
- Jagbir Dosanjh – Markham-Unionville
- Shafoli Kapur – Niagara Falls
- Bhavik Parikh – Brampton South
- Vandan Patel – Haldimand-Norfolk
- Adil Shamji – Don Valley East
- Gurwinder Dosanjh – Sault Ste. Marie
New Blue Party:
- Darryl Brothers – Mississauga-Streetsville
- Maria Dsouza – Ottawa Centre
- Kamalpreet Kaur – Brampton Centre
- Rishab Bhatia – Ottawa-Vanier
Green Party:
- Mini Batra – Pickering-Uxbridge
- Rajinder Boyal – Brampton South
- Nira Dookeran – Ottawa South
- Sanin Zeco – Durham
Communist Party:
- Rimmy Riarh – Parkdale-High Park
Progress Party Ontario:
Independents:
- Pushpek Sidhu – Brampton West
- Azad Goyat – Brampton East
- Rahul Padmini Saumian – Oshawa
National Political Developments
Meanwhile, Canada’s federal political scene is witnessing heightened activity as the race for Liberal Party leadership and the next Prime Minister intensifies. With the final vote scheduled for March 9, all six candidates are ramping up their campaigns to win support from party MPs and delegates.
In both the provincial and federal elections, ongoing trade tensions and diplomatic rifts with the United States have become key issues. Average Canadians, particularly in Ontario, are closely monitoring these developments, aware of their potential impact on the country’s economic and political future.
