Indian-origin candidates in race for Toronto’s Mayoral elections

TORONTO: A handful of Indo-Canadians are among 102 candidates in fray for the Toronto mayoral election to be held for the remaining city council term of 2022-2026 following Mayor John Tory's resignation early this year.

The candidates for the June 26 by-election were certified by Toronto City Clerk John D. Elvidge.

Born to Indo-Guyanese and Afro-Bermudian parents, Knia Singh has ran for political office municipally, provincially and federally, most notably running for Mayor in the 2018 and 2022 Municipal elections.

Singh received the community service award from the Jamaican Canadian Association in 2016 and was named the Toronto Star person to watch for 2014.

He co-founded the Osgoode Society Against Institutional Injustice, which was instrumental in challenging carding and arbitrary detention across police services in Ontario.

"I seek to be the representative of our city as someone who has lived through various stages of life experience, and who can relate and identify with the needs of all people, from those trying to find their next meal, to those looking to invest in an economic venture," Singh said in his campaign statement.

Sandeep Srivastava, who came to Toronto from India as a teenager, ran unsuccessfully in the last municipal election.

As a Mayor, Srivastava says he hopes to build a more sustainable and cost-efficient community.

"I want to build Toronto Smart City based on my local municipal experience, knowledge, skills, and strengths. I put forward a plan to make sure that we're bringing Business and Technology jobs back to Toronto by rewarding companies and small businesses," he said in his campaign statement.

Habiba Desai and Partap Singh Dua are among other candidates who have thrown their hats in the ring.

Desai most recently ran in the 2022 municipal election in Scarborough-Guildwood for a Councillor position and gained over 1000 votes.

With 102, a record-high number of candidates have ever registered for Mayor of the amalgamated City of Toronto, surpassing the previous record of 65 candidates in the 2014 municipal election, a release by City of Toronto stated.

There were 31 certified candidates for Mayor of Toronto in the 2022 municipal election.

The city said advance voting days for the election will run from June 8 to June 13 with the election day set on June 26. The Mayor of Toronto is the head of Toronto City Council and chief executive officer of the municipal government.

He is elected alongside the city council every four years on the fourth Monday of October.

However, this time the by-election was called after Toronto's long-time Mayor John Tory resigned on February 17 following reports of an affair with a staffer.

Nominations for the mayoral election closed on May 12.