Bloc Quebecois Leader Yves-Francois Blanchet casts his ballot on federal election day in Chambly, Quebec, on April 28, 2025.

Canada was voting Monday for a new government to confront a trade war and annexation threats by President Donald Trump, who pushed for the United States to absorb its neighbor as polling stations opened. (AFP)

Canadian Conservative Party leader Pierre Poilievre blasted Donald's Trump intrusion into Monday's election, after the US president urged once again for the country to become part of the United States. (AFP)

Trump has intervened in the election with his comments on social media drawing widespread attention. The US president has been vocal about his desire for Canada to become part of the United States, stating that it would be "the cherished 51st state." He claimed that this would bring numerous benefits, including "ZERO TARIFFS" and "FREE ACCESS WITH NO BORDER."

Conservative leader Pierre Poilievre and his wife Anaida depart a polling place after voting in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada on April 28, 2025. (AFP)

The federal election in Canada is shaping up to be one of the most closely contested in recent memory.

Trump, in a social media post on Monday, reiterated his call for Canada to become the 51st state.

"Good luck to the Great people of Canada," he said. "Elect the man who has the strength and wisdom to cut your taxes in half, increase your military power, for free, to the highest level in the World, have your Car, Steel, Aluminum, Lumber, Energy, and all other businesses, QUADRUPLE in size, WITH ZERO TARIFFS OR TAXES, if Canada becomes the cherished 51st. State of the United States of America. No more artificially drawn line from many years ago."

(Reuters)

Maninder Sidhu, another MP from Brampton East, was elected in 2019 and won again in 2021. He has been a member of the standing committee on natural resources and the standing committee on transport, infrastructure, and communities. He too will be contesting for the same seat in 2025.

Parm Bains won the elections in the 2021 federal election and is the Liberal Party MP for Richmond East - Steveston. His family immigrated to Canada from Punjab. Before venturing into politics, he was an instructor at Kwantlen Polytechnic University and media personnel with the provincial government. He will be contesting for the same seat this year as well.

Sukh Dhaliwal, a Member of Parliament for Surrey Newton since 2015, has been actively involved in the Surrey community and has chaired the Standing Committee on Citizenship and Immigration. A professional engineer, land surveyor, and small business owner, apart from being a politician, Dhaliwal has been a strong advocate for his constituents and has worked tirelessly to address their concerns.

Sunjiv Raval, a successful businessman and Liberal Party candidate, is contesting the parliamentary election from Calgary Midnapore. Raval, who has been actively involved in community work and has represented several Indian community groups, said, "We are fighting on issues faced by the middle class, who have been demanding better infrastructure and sports facilities, affordable housing and work opportunities for all."

Jayesh Brahmbhatt, a real estate developer and People's Party of Canada candidate, is contesting the election. Brahmbhatt, who immigrated to Canada in 2001, said, "We stand for freedom, responsibility, fairness and respect for all, and somewhere it resonates with me. I speak to a lot of people, and they seek change from this election." Per TOI, he also said, "Political parties in Canada are now identifying Indians as an important community in the political arena, and sub-groups such as Gujaratis are making the most of this opportunity to be represented and be heard."

Jagmeet Singh, leader of the NDP since 2017, is not only contesting the election from his own constituency of Burnaby South but is also actively campaigning for NDP candidates across Canada. He was first elected to the legislative assembly of Ontario in 2011, representing Bramalea-Gore-Malton, until he entered federal politics.

Kamal Khera, Minister of Health in PM Carney's Cabinet, is contesting the election from the Brampton West constituency, which she has represented since 2015. She was one of the youngest women to be ever elected to Canada's parliament. Khera, a registered nurse and community volunteer, moved to Canada with her Indian parents as a young girl. She has a bachelor of science degree from York University, Toronto.

Anita Anand, Minister of Innovation, Science, and Industry in Prime Minister Mark Carney's Cabinet, is running for re-election in the Oakville riding in Ontario. She is one of the few MPs who have retained ministerial posts from the previous Justin Trudeau government. Anand, who was previously the Minister of Transport, had announced her decision to step down from electoral politics but has since changed her mind.

HOW ARE WINNERS DECLARED?
Canada follows a first-past-the-post electoral system, which means that the winning candidate is one who has received the most votes in a constituency or riding, even if the total is not a majority of the ballots cast.

WHO ARE THE KEY CANDIDATES?
While Mark Carney, who is the current Prime Minister and leads the Liberal Party of Canada, and Pierre Poilievre, who is currently the Leader of the Opposition and heads the Conservative Party of Canada are the most likely candidates to become the next Canadian PM, there are some other key contestants who are aiming for the top spot.

These include Yves-Francois Blanchet, who leads the Bloc Quebecois party - a sovereigntist organisation, which means a party that has a history and ideology of supporting Quebec's right to self-government or full independence from Canada, and Jagmeet Singh of the New Democratic Party, which has a leftwing ideology for legislation. Jagmeet Singh also has a history of being a pro-'Khalistan' sympathiser - which is rooted in a separatist ideology, and has been a cause of much friction with India.

WHAT IS UNIQUE ABOUT THE CANADIAN POLLS?
Among Canada's 10 provinces and 3 territories, the three regions in the northernmost part of the country - which are the largest parts of Canada, are so sparsely-populated, that each of these territories have just one seat. The three territories are called Yukon, Northwest Territories, and Nunavut.

Canada will go to polls on April 28 in what's a tight race between the Liberal Party, led by Prime Minister Mark Carney, and the Conservative Party, headed by Pierre Poilievre.

WHAT IS THE COST OF THE 2025 CANADIAN ELECTION?
As most elections do, the parliamentary polls in Canada also comes at a fairly steep cost. According to estimates given by Elections Canada, the 2025 parliamentary elections will cost the state exchequer $570 million (Canadian Dollar), which is roughly $411 million (US Dollar).

WHO VOTES WHEN? TIMINGS FOR VOTING AND COUNTING OF BALLOTS
Canada has six time zones, so, for most Canadians to vote within a 3-hour window across time zones, Elections Canada has staggered the voting. The timings for voting in each time zone is given below: