Ottawa: In the wake of a significant defeat in the Canadian federal elections, Jagmeet Singh, the leader of the New Democratic Party (NDP) and a pro-Khalistan advocate, announced his resignation on Tuesday.

Singh was aiming for a third consecutive term but lost his Burnaby Central seat in British Columbia to Wade Chang from the Liberal Party.

He garnered only about 27% of the votes, while Chang secured over 40%, marking a substantial setback for Singh and his party.

The election results were particularly harsh, with the Liberals, led by Mark Carney, winning more than 160 seats, while the NDP's representation in Parliament dwindled to just seven out of 343 contested seats.

The NDP's vote share fell dramatically to 2%, a stark contrast to the 24 seats they held in the previous election.

This decline puts the NDP at risk of losing its national party status, which requires a minimum of 12 seats in the House of Commons.

Although Prime Minister Mark Carney's Liberals maintained power, they did not achieve a majority government.

In response to the election results, Singh expressed his disappointment on social media, stating, "I know this night is disappointing for New Democrats. But we are only defeated when we believe those who tell us we can never dream of a better Canada... I am disappointed that we could not win more seats. But I am not disappointed in our movement."

Since becoming the NDP leader in 2017, Singh has been notable as the first ethnic minority to lead a major federal political party in Canada.

Media outlets, including the Canadian public broadcaster, indicated that the Liberal Party, under Carney's leadership, would likely form the next government, although it was uncertain if they would achieve a majority in the House of Commons.

Jagmeet Singh has been a vocal supporter of Khalistani ideals, aligning himself with the movement that seeks an independent Sikh state separate from India, a stance that has attracted considerable criticism from New Delhi.

Tensions between India and Canada heightened last year after Canada accused India of being involved in the assassination of Khalistani terrorist Hardeep Singh Nijjar in British Columbia.

During this period, Singh emerged as a prominent supporter of former Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, who made the allegations.

India, however, dismissed these claims as "baseless," citing a lack of evidence from Canada.

Singh's political stance shifted in September of the previous year when the NDP became the last of Canada's three major opposition parties to cut ties with Trudeau's government, accusing him of yielding to corporate interests and failing to uphold progressive commitments.