Kingmaker to casualty: how Jagmeet Singh was eclipsed in Canada

The eclipse of the man who once turned his turban into a TikTok sensation and wore his political confidence on the spotless sleeves of his bespoke suits removes a key impediment to the reset in the diplomatic relations between India and Canada.

As ties with India hit rock bottom under Justin Trudeau, many linked the former Prime Minister’s perceived softness on Khalistani separatism to his government’s dependence on Jagmeet Singh for survival.

Prime Minister Mark Carney has signalled his intention to rebuild ties on the foundations of mutual respect and shared economic interests, and he will likely face far fewer domestic constraints in doing so.

Jagmeet Singh and India

Seven and a half years ago, Jagmeet Singh Jimmy Dhaliwal was elected leader of the NDP, the first non-Christian to lead a mainstream Canadian party. The rise of a practising Sikh of Punjabi descent, and the first turban-wearing lawmaker in Ontario, was hailed as a milestone for diversity in Canadian politics.

Singh played kingmaker in Trudeau’s minority government, and helped him deliver key social reforms, most notably universal dental care, pharmacare, and measures for the protection of labour.

But he also became the poster boy for a small but vocal group of Sikh separatists in Canada, whom he backed openly by issuing adversarial statements against India.

But Singh’s hostility towards India predated his leadership of the NDP. In 2013, soon after he entered politics, he was denied a visa to visit the Golden Temple after he demanded that the anti-Sikh violence of 1984 be officially described as “genocide”, The Globe and Mail reported at the time.

The UPA government accused him of leading an “insidious agenda of disturbing the social fabric of India and undermining its peace, harmony and territorial integrity”.

Singh amplified Trudeau’s unproven allegations that “agents” of the Indian government were involved in the June 2023 killing of the Sikh separatist Hardeep Singh Nijjar.

In October, 2024, after Canada expelled six Indian diplomats citing the alleged targeting of Canadians by the Indian government, Singh issued a statement in support of the decision.

“…We’re calling on the Government of Canada yet again to put diplomatic sanctions against India in place, ban the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) network in Canada, and commit to pursuing the most severe consequences for anyone found to have participated in organized criminal activity on Canadian soil,” he said.

This contributed to the chill in diplomatic ties, and deepened the mistrust between New Delhi and Trudeau’s government. His continuing public association with pro-Khalistan activists cemented the perception in both India and Canada that Ottawa was tolerating anti-India extremists.

Election defeat

So what happened in the 2025 election? Several interconnected factors contributed to the NDP’s rout, and to Singh’s own loss in Burnaby Central, where he finished third.

1. 01

   Ties with an unpopular government

   Singh’s supply-and-confidence agreement with Trudeau’s minority government blurred the NDP’s identity, tying it to an increasingly unpopular administration and alienating voters who sought a clear alternative.

2. 02

   Association with separatists

   Singh’s perceived sympathy for Khalistani separatism, underscored by his repeated appearances at events with extremist overtones and calls for sanctions against India, hurt his appeal among moderate voters and members of the Indian diaspora.

   Incidents of violence in Toronto and Vancouver involving the Indian diaspora and extremists sparked concerns among voters about attempts to import “sectarian unrest” into Canada.

3. 03

   Trump shock and Canadian patriotism

   United States President Donald Trump’s provocative statements — calling for Canada to become the “51st state,” imposing tariffs, etc. — turned the election into a referendum on national pride.

   Carney’s campaign leveraged the support of progressive and centrist voters on this issue. Both the Liberals and Conservatives gained at the cost of the smaller NDP and Bloc Québécois parties who were squeezed out in most ridings (constituencies) as the two big parties garnered more than 80% of the vote.

4. 04

   Shift away from working-class concerns

   By focusing on foreign interference from India and China, and social justice campaigns, the NDP lost sight of the original mission that drove it. As everyday Canadians were grappling with inflation, housing, and job insecurity, Singh’s “muted class politics” and consultant-driven leadership left many traditional working-class NDP supporters feeling abandoned.

The road ahead

It does seem likely that Jagmeet Singh’s exit will help Carney reshape relations with India. His resignation has removed a prominent domestic advocate of pro-Khalistan politics from the federal centre stage, and cleared a key obstacle to a diplomatic thaw.

The NDP is seen to face a time of reckoning. To regain relevance, it must undergo an ideological, strategic, and tactical overhaul, including grassroots outreach, a potential “listening tour” across ridings, and a renewed focus on working-class and rural concerns.

And there is one last thing: The Liberals’ 169 seats are still short of the majority in the 343-seat Commons, and Carney will likely need to reach out across the aisle in order to pass specific legislation.