Ottawa: A total of 84 candidates are in the fray, including eight for the mayor’s post, 56 for the councillor and 20 for the school trustee in the Surrey Municipal elections, scheduled for October 15.
One mayor, eight councillors and seven trustees are to be elected. Among those contesting for the mayoral post, four candidates are of Punjabi origin, while 21 candidates of Punjabi origin are contesting for the post of councillor and five candidates are in the fray for the post of school trustee.
In the race to grab the prestigious mayor’s chair, Member of Parliament of Punjabi origin Sukh Dhaliwal, Jinny Sims, Amrit Biring and Kuldeep Pelia, current mayors Doug McCallum, Gordy Hogg, Brenda Locke and John Wolansky are in the fray. Among them, Kuldeep Pelia and John Volansky are independent candidates.
Candidates of Punjabi origin who are in the fray for the councilor are sitting councillor Mandeep Nagra, Jasbir Sandhu, Harry Bains, Shweta Bassi, Tejnoor Singh Cheema, Sarghi Cheema, Nav Dhanoa, Andy Dhillon, Reena Gill, Kiran Hundal, Raman Jassar, Pardeep Kaur Kunar, Paramjit Singh Malhi, Arsh Mander, Ajit Mehta, Mandeep Nagra, Kam Pawar, Manjit Singh Sahota, Kulwinder Singh Sahota. Preet Sandhu, Kultar Singh and Jodi Toor.
Among the Punjabi candidates for the post of school trustee, Dr. Jasbir Narwal, Dr. Balbir Gurm, Sunny Mangat, Dupinder Kaur Saran and Gary Thind.
In the 2018 civic elections in Surrey City, 83 candidates had contested and even then there were eight candidates for the mayoral election, 48 for the election of councillors and 27 for the school trustee.