When Liberal Party President Sachit Mehra conducts the election for the successor to Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, another Indo-Canadian may emerge as the compromise candidate to lead the nation.
As Trudeau announced his decision to step down as Prime Minister, he did not name a successor but entrusted Mehra with overseeing a “robust, nationwide competitive process” to elect the next leader.
Unlike in India, where members of the ruling party in the Lower House of Parliament elect the Prime Minister, the Liberal Party’s rules allow anyone who registers as a party member to participate in the election.
The party’s membership, which exceeds 300,000, is open to non-citizens, including international students. Additionally, the age of eligibility is only 14.
The winner must secure at least 50 per cent of the votes, and multiple voting rounds may be required before a candidate reaches this threshold.
Mehra has said that he will convene a meeting of the party’s board this week to set the election date and appoint a committee to oversee the process.
Although the rules mandate a 90-day campaign, the leadership can shorten it, with a possibility of concluding the election before March 24, when Parliament is set to reconvene.
No one has formally declared their candidacy for the leadership yet.
Whoever becomes the next Prime Minister will face a challenging term, as the Liberal Party holds only 153 seats in the 338-member House of Commons, falling short of the 170 needed for a majority. The government has been relying on support from the New Democratic Party (NDP), whose leader Jagmeet Singh has now withdrawn his backing.
Opposition parties have announced plans to move a no-confidence vote when Parliament reconvenes in March.
In the event of an election—whether in October as per the deadline or earlier—the opposition Conservative Party currently holds a significant lead in the polls. An Ipsos poll last month showed the Conservatives with 45 per cent support, compared to the Liberals’ 20 per cent, a massive 25-point gap.
Among the likely front-runners in the race to succeed Trudeau are Chrystia Freeland, who was sidelined when her finance portfolio was reassigned; Trudeau’s close ally Dominic LeBlanc, who replaced Freeland; Foreign Minister Mélanie Joly, who led the diplomatic push against India; and economist and banker Mark Carney, who has the unique distinction of having served as the Governor of both the Bank of Canada and the Bank of England.
Amid this roster of prominent contenders, Transport Minister Anita Anand has emerged as a potential compromise candidate capable of bridging factions and potentially crossing the 50 per cent threshold in the voting rounds.
Anand, appointed Public Services and Procurement Minister in 2019, gained recognition during the COVID-19 pandemic for her assertive strategy in securing medical equipment and vaccines, including from India, during a time of global shortages.
Following the 2021 election, she was appointed Defence Minister, where she addressed issues of sexual harassment and discrimination within the armed forces. She also spearheaded Canada’s support for Ukraine during Russia’s invasion, providing material aid and training.
In subsequent cabinet reshuffles, Anand served as President of the Treasury Board, overseeing government operations, and most recently as Transport Minister, with the additional responsibility for internal trade.
Anand, 57, is a lawyer trained at Oxford and Dalhousie University in Canada. Her father is from Tamil Nadu, and her mother, from Punjab, is also a doctor. Anand was born in Nova Scotia.
New Delhi-born Sachit Mehra grew up in Winnipeg, where he became a businessman managing the family’s restaurant chain. In 2023, he was elected as the Liberal Party’s President, a role focused on organisational matters, distinct from the party leader, who heads the party in Parliament and serves as Prime Minister or Leader of the Opposition.
Mehra has been tasked with devising a strategy for the upcoming election amid the party’s diminishing prospects.
Of the leading candidates, Joly’s overt hostility toward India, evidenced by her expulsion of Indian diplomats from Canada, could factor into her prospects for leadership.
(Inputs from IANS)
