In a huge setback to Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, Canada's ruling Liberal Party lost its seat in the Montreal parliamentary constituency.
As per Elections Canada, with 100 per cent of the votes counted in
LaSalle-Emard-Verdun, Liberal candidate Laura Palestini had been pushed into second place by the separatist Bloc Quebecois candidate, Louis-Philippe Sauv.
Palestini received 27.2% of the vote compared to 28% for the Bloc and 26.1% for the New Democratic Party candidate, reported Reuters.
The election in Montreal was held to fill a single vacant seat in Parliament’s House of Commons. A Liberal legislator had quit paving the way for the election.
The result will put more pressure on Trudeau's political future, who has become increasingly unpopular after almost nine years in office. Experts also say that it could be an end game for Trudeau’s third term.
The election results also throw light on how the Liberal party is losing ground in Canada. Montreal's seat was long held by Liberals. The Conservatives are blaming Trudeau for rising prices and the housing crisis in the region.
While talking to the reporters in Ottawa, Trudeau said, “There are all sorts of reflections to take” on the election outcome. “It would have been nicer to be able to win,” he added.
Though some legislators are calling for change at the top, Trudeau insisted that he will lead the Liberals into the elections to be likely held in October 2025.
The party also performed poorly in a second special election in Elmwood-Transcona, in the central province of Manitoba.
The NDP retained the seat while the Liberals took only 5% of the vote, compared to 15% in the 2021 general election. During that election, the Liberals won the Montreal seat with 43% of the vote, ahead of the Bloc on 22% and the NDP on 19%.
With a surge in the cost of living and the housing crisis, Trudeau’s popularity waned over the years. In June, the Liberals had lost a safe seat in a special election in Toronto.