Canada elections 2025: Pro-Khalistan leader Jagmeet Singh breaks down after losing Burnaby seat, says he'll step down as NDP leader

Jagmeet Singh, the Indo-Canadian leader of Canada’s New Democratic Party (NDP), has announced that he will step down as party leader after losing his seat in the recent Canada elections 2025. Singh, who has supported the Khalistan movement in the past, was seen in tears during an emotional speech on Monday night.

Singh lost his seat in Burnaby Central, British Columbia, a riding he had held since 2019. The seat was earlier called Burnaby South but was renamed after a boundary change. He came in third this time, marking a big fall from his strong win in 2017 when he became NDP leader.

Jagmeet Singh announces that he will be stepping down as NDP leader. pic.twitter.com/c3PvzDQcyu

— Jarryd Jäger (@JarrydJaeger) April 29, 2025

At his campaign headquarters in Burnaby, Singh thanked his team, his family, and congratulated Liberal leader Mark Carney on his win. In a video posted online, Singh said, “You guys poured your heart into this. Thank you so much for everything you've done.”

He added, “I know this is a disappointing night for New Democrats. We had really good candidates who lost tonight. I'm so sorry you won’t be able to represent your communities. I know you'll keep fighting for them.”

Jagmeet Singh has led the NDP since October 2017. He confirmed he will step down once the party picks an interim leader.

Inputs from agencies