Justin Trudeau suffers setback; Pro-Khalistan leader withdraws support to government

OTTAWA: Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, who supported Khalistani terrorists and took an anti-India stance to appease the Sikh community, faced an unexpected backlash as key alley New Democratic Party (NDP), led by Khalistani sympathizer Jagmeet Singh, withdrew its support to the government.

The NDP has 24 seats in the Canadian Parliament. With the NDP withdrawing its support, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's Liberal Party government is on the brink of collapse. Jagmeet Singh's sudden decision to withdraw support yesterday caught Trudeau off guard. The crisis comes ahead of the parliamentary elections scheduled for October next year. Jagmeet Singh has also announced that he will contest as a prime ministerial candidate against Trudeau.

In 2022, the two parties had struck a deal to boost the Liberal Party's minority government. The deal was supposed to go on till October next year. According to reports, Jagmeet Singh was infuriated by Trudeau's failure to keep several promises made in exchange for NDP support. Singh lambasted Trudeau for his inability to curb inflation and for being beholden to corporate interests.

Analysts believe that the Trudeau government, whose popularity has plummeted, will not survive until the election. The survey results indicate that Trudeau will be defeated in the election.

What lies ahead of Trudeau
1. The government needs to survive a no-confidence vote in the House of Commons (Lower House), for which opposition support is necessary.
2. The opposition Conservative Party will demand a no-confidence vote in the parliamentary session convening on the 16th of this month.
3. Trudeau will survive if NDP MPs abstain from voting. Trudeau can also survive by winning the votes of the Bloc Quebecois party.

If Trudeau falls
Conservative leader Pierre Poilievre has the public's support. Poilievre has called for an immediate election.

NDP
The NDP has a significant influence on the Canadian Sikh community
It is the fourth-largest party in the Canadian Parliament.

House of Commons
Total Seats: 338
Simple Majority: 170
Party Seats:
Liberal: 154
Conservative: 119
NDP: 24
Bloc Quebecois: 32
Green: 2
Independent: 3
Vacant: 4