Canada polls: Re-elected for 5th time, Sukh Dhaliwal says he will help south Asian migrants get citizenship

Sukh Dhaliwal, who was re-elected as MP from Surrey, Newton, in Canada, said he will try to get Canadian citizenship for the maximum number of south Asian students and migrants

Liberal incumbent Sukh Dhaliwal, who was re-elected as MP from Surrey, Newton, in Canada for the fifth time on Tuesday, said he had special plans for students and those migrating to the country from south Asia.

Liberal incumbent Sukh Dhaliwal, who was re-elected as MP from Surrey, Newton, in Canada for the fifth time, said he had special plans for students and those migrating to the country from south Asia. (HT Photo)

Born in Sujapur village, Ludhiana, Dhaliwal is among the 16 Indo-Canadian Punjabis who won the Canadian elections on Monday. He had also won elections in 2006, 2008, 2015, and 2019.

“Around 60% of the population in my riding (Canadian constituency) is south Asian. I will try to get Canadian citizenship for the maximum number of students and migrants, who are mostly from Pakistan, India, and Bangladesh,” Dhaliwal said, adding that his government had recently accepted 30,000 such applications.

Dhaliwal, who received 54% votes in his riding, said, “I have personal relations with my voters, and am easily accessible to them. A personal connection is essential to know the problems of the people. I got a large mandate because I have always helped needy,” he said, adding, “Surrey, Newton now holds an important position across the globe.”

Moreover, our policies have helped businesses to flourish. We sincerely worked to check Covid spread and initiated massive vaccination drives,” he said.

Dhaliwal, who studied civil engineering from Guru Nanak Dev Engineering College, Ludhiana, in 1983, said he is waiting for the things to get back to normal in relation to the Covid pandemic, before planning a visit to India.

Congratulating him, Sehijpal Singh, principal, Guru Nanak Dev Engineering College, who was the MP’s junior in college said Dhaliwal as an all-rounder student.

“He was cordial with his seniors and juniors. He was always accessible to everyone. He was a great sportsperson too. We had honoured him during his visit to the campus in 2019. He even provides financial help students who move to Canada for further studies,” said Sehijpal.