Explained: The downfall of Canada’s once kingmaker Jagmeet Singh

In 2022, Jagmeet Singh emerged as kingmaker in the Canadian polls, helping Justin Trudeau to form a government. Many had assumed that the New Democratic Party (NDP) leader would play a significant role this federal election too.

However, that wasn’t the case to be, as Singh announced that he is stepping down as leader of the NDP after conceding the loss of his seat in Burnaby Central. Moreover, his party is also staring at losing its national party status — parties in Canada need 12 seats to officially quality for party status in the House of Commons.

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So, how did this transformation occur? What led to the downfall of Jagmeet Singh?

NDP’s Jagmeet Singh, the ‘most stylish politician in Canada’

Singh, born in Scarborough, Ontario, a city in the Greater Toronto Area, to Indian immigrants from Punjab, attained a degree in biology from the University of Western Ontario and a Bachelor of Laws from York University’s Osgoode Hall Law School.

The 46-year-old Sikh worked as a criminal defence attorney for years before pursuing provincial politics, eventually running provincially for a seat in the Ontario legislature in 2011. In 2019, he attained a political win when he won his first seat in Canada’s parliament in a by-election in Burnaby, British Columbia, east of Vancouver.

Known for his sharp and well-tailored suits, Singh was once dubbed by Buzzfeed as the “most stylish politician in Canada by like a million kilometres”.

In 2022, he led his party into an agreement with the then-Prime Minister Trudeau’s party. Singh, in return, secured commitments for a national dental care program and a framework for pharma care.

However, he wasn’t without controversy. The 46-year-old is a known Khalistani supporter — he was rejected an Indian visa in 2013 as he had stated that the Sikh riots of 1984 should be described as “genocide”.

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Two years later, he even attended a Khalistani rally where participants chanted “Khalistan, Khalistan”. Moreover, the rally featured large posters of Jarnail Singh Bhindranwale, a Khalistani who was behind the siege of the Golden Temple in 1984.

When Canada’s ties with India nose-dived last year following the killing of Hardeep Singh Nijjar, Singh had expressed support for Trudeau government’s decision to expel Indian diplomats. He was quoted as saying, “We support today’s decision to expel India’s diplomats and we’re calling on the Government of Canada yet again to put diplomat sanctions against India in place, ban the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh network (RSS) in Canada, and commit to pursuing the most severe consequences for anyone found to have participated in organised criminal activity on Canadian soil.”

Jagmeet Singh’s poor show at Canada polls

After withdrawing support from the Trudeau government in September 2024, all eyes turned to Singh and his party’s performance at the federal elections held on April 28.

However, it appears that his campaign didn’t resonate with voters as not only did he lose his own seat from Burnaby Central, but the NDP has also performed poorly — poised to win only seven seats in the election resulting in it losing its national party status. In the previous election, Singh’s NDP had secured 24 seats.

Singh, who was eyeing his third win, lost the Burnaby Central seat in British Columbia to Liberal candidate, Wade Chang. While Singh received about 27 per cent of the votes, Chang secured more than 40 per cent of the votes.

In a series of posts on X, Singh said, “I know this night is disappointing for New Democrats. But we are only defeated when we believe those that tell us we can never dream of a better Canada.

“I know that we will always choose hope over fear. New Democrats built this country. We have built the best of Canada. And we aren’t going anywhere.”

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.

I know this night is disappointing for New Democrats. 🧵

— Jagmeet Singh (@theJagmeetSingh) April 29, 2025

He said he has often spoken of a lesson his mother shared with him - the Sikh teaching of ‘Chardi Kala’, which means ‘rising spirits’. “Optimism over struggle. This is the spirit I carry tonight,” he said.

Singh added it was the “honour of my life” to serve as NDP leader. He said he would stay on in the interim until a new leader was found.

Uncertain future for NDP and Singh

The Canada election results have been devastating for the NDP with the party’s national director Anne McGrath saying that the loss will trigger an internal review. However, she maintained Singh ran an inspiring campaign. “The dynamic of this campaign set up a very polarised electorate around two parties, and that was a real challenge for us.”

She was also quoted as telling The Star that she doesn’t yet know what the results will mean for the future, but that voters who fled from the NDP “didn’t do it because they had a change of heart.”

“It’s never a win when you lose seats,” she said. “Whatever kind of strength voters give us, we will use it to the best of our ability.”

With inputs from agencies