Two Sikhs among 3 Indian-origin leaders elected to NZ Parliament
AUCKLAND: Three Indian-origin politicians, including two women, have been elected to New Zealand’s Parliament in the general election, inwhich the centreright governing party has been placed first but failed to capture a parliamentary majority.
Kanwaljit Singh Bakshi, Dr ParmjeetKa ur Par ma rand Priy an ca Rad ha krishn an have successfully madeitto the 121- member Parliament in New Zealand.
While Bakshi is all set to begin his fourth successive term, it will be Parmar’s second term (both list MPs of National Party), and 38-year-old Priyanca Radhakrishnan will debut as the Labour Party’s list MP.
The centre-right National Party will have to assemble a coalition if it wants to extend its nine- year hold on power.
The National Party got 46% of the vote, beating back a late surge by the centre-left Labour Party, which received 35.8%, New York Times quoted the Electoral Commissions tate ment. Smaller parties took there st.
The centre-right National Party, which has been in power for nearly a decade, led by Prime Minister Bill English was con- tested by the centre-left Labour Party led by Jacinda Ar de rn, the NewZealand First Party and the Greens.
Bakshiis both, New Zealand’ s first Indian and first Sikh member of parliament. He was first elected in the 2008 elections. Delhi-born Bakshi graduated from the University of Delhi in 1985 and moved to New Zealand in 2001 with his family. ANI