The Conservative Party of British Columbia is set to form the next government after defeating the NDP in the provincial election on October 24. Preliminary figures showed 15 Punjabi-origin candidates won seats. Twelve of these winners got elected on the Conservative ticket, while three others came from the NDP party.

Twelve elected on Conservative ticket, three from NDP; in 2024, nine of the 14 Punjabi-origin MLAs elected were from the NDP

The Conservative Party of British Columbia is set to form the next government in British Columbia after defeating the ruling New Democratic Party (NDP) in the provincial election on October 24. The election was called early by NDP leader David Eby. The results also saw 15 Punjabi-origin candidates elected, 12 of them from the Conservatives and three from the NDP, according to preliminary figures.

The Conservatives were leading in 64 of the 93 seats, against 27 for the NDP and two for the Green Party. The results mark a major setback for the NDP and a shift in the political representation of the Punjabi community in the province.

The change is also reflected in the party-wise break-up of Punjabi-origin MLAs. In the 2024 provincial election, 14 Punjabi-origin candidates were elected, nine from the NDP and five from the Conservatives. This time, the Conservatives account for 12 of the 15 winners.

Eby called the early election on September 22, nearly two years before the next election was due. The move came amid uncertainty over the economy and the impact of US President Donald Trump's trade policies. The Conservatives, meanwhile, were seeking to consolidate their position following a change in leadership.

Among the Conservative winners, Mandeep Singh Dhaliwal retained Surrey North. He had won the seat in 2024 by defeating then-NDP cabinet minister Rachna Singh. An entrepreneur who owns an auto glass repair and supply business, Dhaliwal immigrated from Punjab in his twenties and was a national-level kabaddi player.

Dr Harjit Taliwal won Surrey-Newton, a seat long held by the NDP. A business executive and educator, he has served on the TransLink board and the BC SPCA board and has been active in youth soccer in Surrey.

Jessy Sahota, a Delta Police Department constable who works with young people, won his first provincial election. A wrestler and kabaddi player, he has also coached young athletes.

Garry Thind, a realtor and longtime Surrey school board trustee, won Surrey-Guildford. He has been involved in charitable work through Rotary and the Pingalwara Society.

Zeeshan Wahla won Surrey City Centre after narrowly losing the seat in 2024. A professional engineer, he runs his own consulting firm. Harman Bhangu retained Langley-Abbotsford, while Jody Toor was re-elected from Langley-Willowbrook. Bhangu has worked in the trucking and aggregate-hauling industry, while Toor is an integrative health practitioner.

Steve Kooner retained Richmond-Queensborough. A lawyer, he had defeated NDP MLA Aman Singh in 2024 and has served as the Conservatives' shadow attorney general.

Garry Purewal won Surrey-Fleetwood, defeating longtime NDP MLA Jagrup Brar. A business owner, he previously served in the Canadian Armed Forces' Military Police.

Monica Mohan, a lawyer from North Delta with experience in police services and victim advocacy, won Delta North. Pavneet Singh, an entrepreneur who has run several businesses in the Okanagan region, won Kelowna-Lake Country-Coldstream. Deep Sandhu, a businessman, longshoreman and former Canadian Armed Forces reservist, won Vancouver-Fraserview. All three entered the provincial legislature for the first time.

The three Punjabi-origin NDP winners include two experienced politicians and a labour organiser.

Raj Chouhan retained Burnaby-New Westminster. Born in Punjab, he immigrated to Canada in 1973 and has been active in the labour movement for decades. First elected in 2005, he has served as Speaker of the Legislative Assembly since 2020 and founded the Canadian Farmworkers' Union.

Niki Sharma, the province's attorney general and deputy premier, retained Vancouver-Hastings. Born in Alberta to parents who immigrated from India, she is a lawyer who previously worked on Aboriginal law and represented residential-school survivors. She was first elected in 2020.

Rohini "Reah" Arora retained Burnaby East. A labour organiser who previously worked with the BC Federation of Labour and the United Steelworkers, she was first elected in 2024 and has served as deputy caucus chair.

The results point to a strong showing by the Conservatives among Punjabi-origin candidates, particularly in Surrey, where several won seats previously held by the NDP. The final count is expected in early November, and the seat tally could change.