Canada election: Indo-Canadians double their number in parliament

Ottawa, Oct 21: A record 19 Indian origin persons have made it to their way to parliament in Canada this year. The result has come after people in Canada voted on Monday to elect a new government.

People in Canada also voted out the Conservative Party led by Stephen Harper by handing out a landslide to the Liberal Party led by Justin Trudeau, son of late Prime Minister Pierre Trudeau.

Justin Trudeau, who will turn 44 on December 25 this year, is set to become Canada's second-youngest prime minister and the first to follow a parent into office. Before, Justin, Joe Clark, a Conservative, took office in 1979 the day before he turned 40.

15 Indo-Canadian Liberal candidates won, while only 3 from Conservative Party got elected in the general elections to 338 seats. An Indo-Canadian belonging to New Democratic Party (NDP) also won.

Indian origin Deepak Obhrai, Conservative Member of Parliament (MP) for Calgary East won for the record seventh term. Deepak contested his first election in 1997. Obhrai is reputed to be one of the architects of Canada's foreign policy.

Indian-Canadians make up over three per cent of Canada's population of about 35 million and have become a significant political force. There were eight lawmakers of Indian-origin in Canada in 2011.

OneIndia News