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Updated: Oct 23, 2019 00:39 IST

The friends and families of Indo-Canadian MPs, with roots in Punjab, who were elected in the Canadian general elections, the results of which were declared on Tuesday, cheered their victories in their villages.

Rameshwar Singh Sangha of the Liberal Party who won from Brampton (Center) and has roots in Lesriwal village in Jalandhar.

Manoj Arora, a family friend who looks after Sangha’s property, said the villagers distributed sweets after he won. Around 200 to 300 people visited the house of Sangha’s in laws in Khurdpur village near Adampur to congratulate them. Sangha, who migrated to Canada with his family in 1995, had won for the first time in 2015.

Maninder Singh Sidhu of the Liberal Party, who won the election from Brampton East, also belongs to Malsian Khas village.

Jang Bahadur Singh, Maninder’s uncle, said they had spoken to Maninder after the result was announced and he told them to celebrate.

Jang Bahadur said Maninder was also a part of the charity society of the village, which organises eye camps every month and contributes to government schools.

Kulwinder Singh, a resident of the village, said Maninder is a role model for the village youth. Maninder’s father Narinder Singh Sidhu migrated to Canada 40 years ago and visited Punjab last year.

Punjab-born Harjit Sajjan wins 2nd term

Canadian leader Harjit Singh Sajjan, who has roots in Hoshiarpur, was re-elected in the Canadian general elections.

Celebrations soon erupted in his native village where his relatives and family friends gathered at his ancestral house.

Residents recalled memories of Sajjan’s 2017 visit.

“He had come here after a gap of 16 years and people showered him with so much love that he promised to come back soon. We were overwhelmed by his humility,” said Vijay Bambeli, a local.

Former sarpanch Sukhdev Singh said that it was a matter of pride for the village that Sajjan had once again been elected as a member of the Canadian parliament.

“We hope Justin Trudeau forms the government and Sajjan becomes a minister again,” he said. Sajjan had migrated to Canada with his family when he was five years old but maintained ties with his village.