After Punjabis, how Gujaratis are looking to make a mark in Canada politics

It is well known that Punjabis are a major force in Canadian politics.

Now, Gujaratis are looking to make their mark.

Four Gujarati-origin candidates are in the fray for Canada’s federal elections later this month.

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Jayesh Brahmbhatt, Sunjiv Raval, Ashok Patel, and Minesh Patel, are slated to make history when they run for parliamentary seats in Canada’s 45th federal election on April 28.

But who are they? What do we know about them?

Let’s take a closer look:

Jayesh Brahmbhatt

As per NDTV, Jayesh Brahmbhatt is looking to get elected from the Brampton Chinguacousy Park constituency on a ticket from the People’s Party.

Brahmbhatt, a civil engineer, emigrated to Canada in 2001.

He then became a successful real estate developer.

Brahmbhatt told The Times of India, “We stand for freedom, responsibility, fairness and respect for all, and somewhere it resonates with me."

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“I have spoken to a lot of people, and they seek change from this election,” he said.

“Political parties in Canada are now identifying Indians as an important community in the political arena, and sub-groups such as Gujaratis are making the most of this opportunity to be represented and be heard.”

Sunjiv Raval

As per Hindustan Times, Sunjiv Raval is running on a Liberal Ticket in the Calgary Midnapore constituency.

The Tanzania-born Raval has lived in Calgary for more than two decades.

Raval owns a successful chain of stores. He also has ties to Indian community groups.

“We are fighting on issues faced by the middle class, who have been demanding better infrastructure and sports facilities, affordable housing and work opportunities for all,” Raval was quoted as saying by Hindustan Times. “The country needs immigrants, but there must be a balance. We hope to restore it with the right policies. We have a voice now.”

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Ashok Patel and Minesh Patel

As per NDTV, Ashok and Minesh Patel are contesting as Independents.

Ashok is running for the Edmonton Sherwood constituency, while Minesh Patel has filed his nomination from Calgary Skyview. Both have business backgrounds.

This development comes as little surprise to close observers of Canadian politics.

Hemant Shah, the Director of International Trade at Overseas Friends of India Canada (OFIC), told The Times of India, “Canada is home to more than 1 lakh Gujaratis. The community is present in almost all major cities, but more so in Toronto, Montreal, Ottawa, Calgary and Vancouver. Many came to the country as immigrants whereas many more arrived as students and settled here. I have been in Canada for over four decades now, and in this election, we are perhaps witnessing the highest number of candidates of Gujarati origin. Irrespective of their win, it is a significant step in ensuring representation of the community, which is the second largest after Punjabis.”

Punjabi community’s power in Canada

A testament to the growing power of the Punjabi-Canadian community in the country is reflected in the country’s political leadership.
Jagmeet Singh, leader of the New Democratic Party, was a key ally in the previous Justin Trudeau government.

As per LiveMint, Singh is also the first Sikh to lead a major federal political party in Canada.

Singh’s NDP provided critical support to Trudeau’s minority government.

Singh in September 2024 withdrew support from Trudeau’s government over his failure to address key issues such as affordable housing, healthcare, and the rising cost of living.

Trudeau later resigned due to ‘internal party conflicts’ and dissatisfaction with his reign.

Canada also has Anita Anand in the position of Minister of Innovation, Science, and Industry, Kamal Khera as health minister.

Anand served in the previous Trudeau cabinet.

Sukh Dhaliwal, a Liberal Party MP, is also a high-profile politician.

Bardish Chagger, the former minister of diversity, inclusion, and youth, is also of Sikh origin.

According to The Times of India, the latest census shows there are around 7.71 lakh Sikhs in Canada.

They comprise around 2.1 per cent of the country’s population.

As per GoodReads, Sikhs are the fastest-growing group in Canada.

They are also the country’s fourth biggest religious group.

Ontario, British Columbia and Alberta have Canada’s largest Sikh population.

Of the 7.71 lakh Sikhs, over 2.36 lakh are Canadian citizens by birth.

Another 4.15 lakh have permanent resident status, while 1.19 lakh are non-permanent residents.

This is a massive change from previous decades – when there were just 33,535 permanent Sikh residents in Canada in 1980 and 40,440 in 1990.

Punjabi in 2022 became the fourth-most spoken language in Canada.

The other languages were English, French – Canada’s two official languages – and Mandarin.

From 2016 to 2021, the growth in Punjabi speakers was 49 per cent.

Punjabi students from India are also powering Canada’s economy.

According to Khalsa Vox, Punjabi students  are contributing around $8 billion (Rs 68,000 crore) to Canada’s economy every year.

There are around 3.4 lakh Punjabi students in various educational institutions across Canada.

The outlet quoted Kamal Bhumla, chairman of the Association of Consultants for Overseas Studies, as saying, “Based on the figures available to us, nearly 60 per cent of Indians migrating to Canada are Punjabi, accounting for an estimated 1.36 lakh students who went last year. On average, each student pays approximately 17,000 Canadian dollars in annual fees, in addition to depositing 10,200 Canadian dollars as Guaranteed Investment Certificate (GIC) funds.”

With inputs from agencies