Blitz Bureau
Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney’s Liberals staged a major political comeback to retain power in parliamentary elections, fuelled by a backlash against US President Donald Trump’s tariffs and comments on making Canada the 51st U.S. state.
With almost all votes counted in the April 28 election, the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation forecast the Liberals would form a strong minority government, falling just short of the 172 electoral districts they needed for a majority, reported Reuters
Prime Minister Narendra Modi became one of the first world leaders to congratulate Carney on his election victory. “India and Canada are bound by shared democratic values, a steadfast commitment to the rule of law, and vibrant people-to-people ties. I look forward to working with you to strengthen our partnership and unlock greater opportunities for our people,” PM Modi posted on X.
New Delhi’s ties with Ottawa saw sharp deterioration under Carney’s predecessor Justin Trudeau who repeatedly made “ludicrous statements” against India and sympathised with Khalistanis.
“It’s an incredibly important relationship, the Canada-India relationship, on many levels. At this point, where the world economy but also the global system has been shaken, is being reshaped, countries like Canada, like India, specifically can play an outsize role in building an open, shared economy, shared ideas, a shared relationship,” Carney had said last week.
Although he failed to get a majority, Carney faces no immediate political danger.
Conservative leader Pierre Poilievre, who just three months ago had looked certain to sweep the polls, lost his seat in Ontario.
Carney had sought a majority to help him negotiate with Trump on the tariffs threatening Canada’s economy.
