How the Punjabis NRIs fell in Canada elections

CHANDIARH: The general elections in Canada, held on May 2, have thrown up more than one surprise. Besides electing a Conservative majority gvernment to power, amidst apprehensions of electing another minority government, the elections have also seen many prominent Punjabi NRI faces bite the dust, much to the shock of Punjab. Eight Canadians of Indian origin have made it to the Parliament, though.Gurbax Malhi, the most prominent face of Punjabi community in Canada, who was the first Sikh politician to enter the Parliament wearing a turban, and who had never seen defeat ever since he started his winning streak in politics since 1993, lost the elections this year. Shockingly, this Liberal party candidate from Bramalea-Gore-Malton finished third, having tasted defeat at the hands of Bal Gosal, another Canadian of Punjabi origin representing Conservative Party, followed by Jagmeet Gill of New Democratic Party (NDP), who scored second hightest votes.Four other Liberal heavy weight MPs - Ruby Dhalla, the controversial former actress-turned-doctor-turned-politician who was hoping to repeat another term in the parliament; Sukh Dhaliwal, who created a flutter last year by introducing a motion in Canada's Parliament, to accept November 1984 riots as genocide'; Ujjal Dosanjh, who had recently cautioned the Indian and Canadian government about militant activities of Punjabi terrorists in Canada; and, Navdeep Bains, who was being hailed as a 'rising star' in the national politics of Liberals- failed to reconnect with their voters."Voters back home had gained an impression that these big politicians were visiting India and mingling with the rich and powerful there, more often than they spent time here amidst their voters," radio presenter Kuldip Deepak, who holds talk shows on 'Punjab di goonj' (Echo of Punjab) said. "Electioneering , this year, also drove home one point strongly- that, it was important to woo the ethnic communities," says Deepak. Print journlaist G S Gill added, "both, Stephen Harper (Canada's PM and Conservatives Party leader ), and Michael Ignatieff (Leader of Liberals Party) repeatedly came to support their respective candidates, Param Gill and Ruby Dhalla, at Brampton Springdale."Baisakhi parades in various provinces also saw these national leaders wooing the large Punjabi communities in the run up to elections. Ruby Dhalla even used the Indo-Pak semi finals of IPL to play with her constituents and celebrate India's win in a well publicised event, while Liberals asked Naveep Bains to address Punjabi - majority constituencies elsewhere too , other than his own - Mississuaga Brampton South. But, in the end, it was a conservative sweep, which made the mighty fall.(Inputs by Neel Kamal)