Pro-Khalistani sympathiser Jagmeet Singh on Tuesday quit as the leader of the New Democratic Party (NDP) after losing his seat from Burnaby Central in British Columbia during the Canada elections on Monday.
NDP lost its party status and most of its seats in the federal elections. Addressing his supporters in Burnaby, he thanked his family and congratulated Liberal leader Mark Carney on his win.
A vocal supporter of the Khalistani movement, Singh broke down during an emotional address conceding defeat in the Canadian elections, in which his party saw its worst-ever result.
Jagmeet Singh announces that he will be stepping down as NDP leader. pic.twitter.com/c3PvzDQcyu
— Jarryd Jäger (@JarrydJaeger) April 29, 2025
During the emotional speech, Singh fought back tears as he spoke about his love for the NDP and said he was elected the leader of the party eight years ago.
“I worked really hard to be worthy of this trust, to live up to the legacy of our movement,” he said as he fought back tears. The NDP leader stopped multiple times choking back while speaking about the love for his party.
In a post on X, the NDP leader said he would be stepping down as the leader of the party.
“It’s been the honour of my life to lead the NDP, and to represent the people of Burnaby Central. Congratulations to Prime Minister Carney, and to all the other leaders on a hard-fought campaign,” he said.
But we are only defeated when we believe those that tell us we can never dream of a better Canada.
I’ve often spoken of a lesson my mother shared with me: the Sikh teaching of Chardi Kala.
It means “rising spirits.” Optimism over struggle.
This is the spirit I carry tonight.
— Jagmeet Singh (@theJagmeetSingh) April 29, 2025
“I am disappointed that we could not win more seats. But I am not disappointed in our movement. I am hopeful for our Party. I KNOW that we will always choose hope over fear,” he added.
Singh was eyeing a third win but lost the Burnaby Central seat in British Columbia to a Liberal candidate, Wade Chang. The defeat marked a setback for Jagmeet Singh, who had won a decisive victory in 2017 to become NDP leader.
While Singh got 27 per cent of the votes, Chang secured more than 40 per cent of the votes. His party, NDP also saw a major dip and was set to lost its national status, which requires parties to secure at least 12 seats.
The Liberal Party triumphed a miraculous political comeback with a landmark victory for Mark Carney. Meanwhile, Conservative leader Pierre Poilievre lost the seat he has held since 2004, even as his party performed better than had previously been expected.
