Ottawa: New Democratic Party (NDP) chief Jagmeet Singh resigned on Tuesday after losing his seat in Canada’s federal election, marking a major setback for the party. Singh, who had been aiming for a third consecutive win, was defeated in British Columbia’s Burnaby Central riding by Liberal candidate Wade Chang.

Singh secured just 27% of the vote, while Chang received over 40%, according to preliminary results. The NDP also suffered a nationwide decline and is expected to fall below the 12-seat threshold required to maintain official party status in parliament.

In a message posted on X, Singh acknowledged the disappointing result but expressed hope for the future of the party. “We are only defeated when we believe those that tell us we can never dream of a better Canada,” he said.

Singh, who led the NDP since 2017, was known for his progressive stance and controversial support for the Khalistan movement, which had drawn criticism in recent years.

Meanwhile, Prime Minister Mark Carney’s Liberal Party is set to form the next government, as projected by public broadcaster CBC and other media outlets. However, the party appears to have fallen short of an outright majority and may need support from smaller parties to govern.

Carney, who replaced Justin Trudeau just a month ago, is a former central bank governor with no prior elected office experience. He ran a campaign heavily focused on countering U.S. President Donald Trump’s trade threats and annexation rhetoric, which became a central issue for Canadian voters.

The Conservative Party, led by Pierre Poilievre, failed to unseat the Liberals but is expected to form a strong opposition in the new parliament.