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He admits he’s been building the infrastructure for a potential run. “In order to put forward a national campaign, a part of what I’ve been doing is meeting with folks around the country to figure out what the support would look like. I’ve been honoured by the level of support that we’ve received so far,” he said, telling the Post he has received pledges from New Democrats who want to donate or volunteer.

“In order to run a really strong campaign I wanted to put together a national team, and I want to make sure that there’s great members of that team that can put everything together,” he said, though he wouldn’t identify any member of his team. “There are folks that I would love to be a part of the campaign.”

One factor in Singh’s decision is the perceived opportunity for the NDP to make gains in Ontario, where Kathleen Wynne’s Liberals are faring abysmally in the polls ahead of what is expected to be a 2018 election. For the first time in many years, Singh said, forming a government at Queen’s Park seems within the party’s grasp.

But if Singh wants to throw his hat in for the federal leadership he has until July 3 to complete the formal registration process, which includes paying a nonrefundable $30,000 registration fee and gathering 500 signatures from across the country, half of which must be from female-identifying members and at least 100 from “equity-seeking groups” (minorities, people with disabilities and those who identify as LGBTQ). July is the only deadline he’s setting for himself to make a decision, Singh said.