Here is my prediction for the election today: NDP – 45-50 seats and Liberals 135-140 seats and there is your Coalition Government. In this scenario, NDP should seek a chair at the Big Table with possibly Jagmeet Singh as Deputy Prime Minister.

By R. Paul Dhillon – Editor-Founder DESIBUZZCanada

Here is my prediction for the election today: NDP – 45-50 seats and Liberals 135-140 seats and there is your Coalition Government.

In this scenario, NDP should seek a chair at the Big Table with possibly Jagmeet Singh as Deputy Prime Minister.

While polls indicate rising support for NDP, currently the party is at 20-21 percent nationally, which would translate to about 45 seats since they won 40 plus last time with about 19 percent of the national vote. But the real numbers will come later tonight so anything can happen!

Go out and vote with your conscience and heart for the party you support – you only get to exercise your democratic right every four years for the federal government.

How am I voting?

Federally for majority of Punjabi-Indo-Canadians – it has been Liberal for a long time but that trend is changing as you see the community now voting for NDP (Jinny Sims won with our community vote and lost when Sukh Dhaliwal rightly reclaimed the seat and his throne winning by 13,000 votes in 2015) and some even vote Conservative. And nd there is nothing wrong as each individual has their own choice and should vote for whoever they please.

But this election, a new NDP star is born in Sardar Jagmeet Singh, who truly inherited the spirit and integrity of former leader Jack Layton, the only NDP leader to give the party official opposition status before his death. Those are big shoes to fill but Jagmeet has done it admirably and with class, honesty and integrity.

Jack looking down would be immensely proud of Jagmeet, who clearly has broken through and connected with Canadians like a true Canadian despite the racist backlash.

I’d be a hypocrite to say that I haven’t been touched personally and how proud he’s made me as a fellow Canadian and a proud Sikh brother. All Sikhs and Punjabis should be proud of him and India and rightwing Hindus here in Canada and in India should be ashamed for the hate-mongering and propaganda they have carried out against Jagmeet Singh.

But history is a witness to the generous spirit and unequivocal stand against oppression and tyranny by the Sikhs and we have always triumphed in the face of tyranny.

So for me it’s a long and hard walk to the polls today as I must vote with my conscience and heart and both point to the Orange wave!