Soon after Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced his decision to step down on January 6, ahead of this year’s elections, speculations are rife that Canada’s Transport Minister Anita Anand is a key contender for PM.

The next federal election in Canada, scheduled to be held on or before October 20, casts the spotlight on Anand of Indian origin, whose parents were both doctors – her father from Tamil Nadu and mother from Punjab. They migrated to the Annapolis Valley in the 1960s, where Anand was born in 1967, in Kentville.

Anand, as the top contender for PM of a country with one of the largest Indian diasporas in the world, was first elected as Member of Parliament for Oakville in 2019. She has also held positions as Minister of Public Services and Procurement, and President of the Treasury Board and Minister of National Defence. If she is to succeed Trudeau in the next election, her political background in defence, trade and immigration could enhance India-Canada relations, facilitating bilateral agreements.

With over 1.8 million people of Indian origin residing in Canada as on date, Anand is expected to address immigration backlogs and promote closer defence cooperation with India.

This is in the aftermath of Trudeau appointing members of the banned Khalistan organisation to his cabinet, followed by the assassination of Khalistan chief Hardeep Singh Nijjar in June 2023. This led to the imposition of restrictions on visas for Indian students. When members of the Liberal Party publicly called for Trudeau’s resignation, he stepped down.

Whether Anand would become interim PM prior to the polls, and if elected build cordial relations with India, remains to be seen. – editor@nrifocus.com