Ahead of Canada’s 45th federal election on April 28, four Gujarati-origin candidates are contesting parliamentary seats for the first time. All of them are mostly first-generation immigrants. The four candidates are Jayesh Brahmbhatt, Sunjiv Raval, Ashok Patel and Minesh Patel.
Meet the Gujarati-origin candidates
Brahmbhatt is a civil engineer-turned-real estate developer who arrived in Canada from Gujarat in 2001. He is now contesting on a People’s Party ticket, running for parliament in a country he calls home, according to the Times Of India. “We stand for freedom, responsibility, fairness and respect for all, and somewhere it resonates with me,” he said in the past. “I speak to a lot of people, and they seek change from this election.”
For Brahmbhatt, entering politics is not just about ideologies. “Parties are now identifying Indians as an important community in politics, and sub-groups such as Gujaratis are making the most of this opportunity to be represented and be heard,” he said.
Raval, who was born in Tanzania and has lived in Calgary for over 20 years, is standing from Calgary Midnapore on a Liberal ticket. He owns a successful chain of stores and has also been involved with 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,” he said. “The country needs immigrants, but there must be a balance. We hope to restore it with the right policies. We have a voice now.”
Ashok Patel and Minesh Patel are both contesting as independents from Edmonton Sherwood and Calgary Skyview, respectively. They are not political insiders, but are immigrants who first built business, then communities, and are now looking to shape policy.
Don Patel, a successful realtor from Anand, briefly became the Conservative Party’s pick for Etobicoke North. However, he was dropped earlier this week.
Hemant Shah, director of international trade at the Ottawa-based Overseas Friends of India Canada (OFIC), said he saw the shift coming. Shah is a long-time Winnipeg resident and respected community voice. He said, “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 win, it is a significant step in ensuring representation of the community, which is the second largest after Punjabis.”
There is, notably, a large Punjabi political presence in this election too. Indian-origin MPs in Brampton, Mississauga, Surrey and Vancouver are not first-timers; they are incumbents defending their turf. They include Jagmeet Singh, leader of the New Democratic Party and the first Sikh head of a federal party; Anita Anand, minister of innovation, science and industry; and Kamal Khera, minister of health. Sukh Dhaliwal, Liberal MP for Surrey-Newton, is a returning figure who served as MP for Newton-North Delta from 2006 to 2011. Once again, Bardish Chagger is in the race in Waterloo.
