‘No democracy’: Frustration with Conservatives as Calgary candidates appointed without contest
Several federal Conservative activists in northeast Calgary are speaking out against their party after being left disillusioned by the recent nomination process in two key ridings. The activists had spent a year or longer organizing and selling memberships in hopes of running in the upcoming election, only to have the party appoint other candidates at the last minute.
The ridings in question, Calgary McKnight and Calgary Skyview, were particularly coveted as there were no incumbent Conservative candidates in either one. This made them highly sought after among local party activists and experienced politicians who had been preparing their campaigns since late 2023.
Naeem Chaudhry, a taxi company owner who had hoped to run in Calgary McKnight, expressed his frustration at the party’s decision. He had put in a lot of effort to secure the seat for the party, only to be deemed ineligible to run due to incomplete application papers. Similarly, Ranvir Parmar, another hopeful candidate, was also left out of the nomination race without a clear explanation.
Dalwinder Gill and Amanpreet Singh Gill were appointed as Conservative candidates in McKnight and Skyview, respectively, just before the election call. This decision left several other candidates who had been actively campaigning feeling shocked and disappointed.
Kamran Chaudhry, who was also vying for the Skyview nomination, criticized the party for appointing someone who had not been visibly campaigning in the riding until his last-minute announcement as the candidate. The lack of transparency and democracy within the party has left many aspiring candidates feeling disillusioned.
The appointed Skyview candidate, Amanpreet Singh Gill, did not respond to requests for comment. His past donation to the federal Liberals in 2022 has raised questions about his loyalty to the Conservative Party.
The sidelined candidates fear that the party’s candidate recruitment practices may result in a backlash from the thousands of northeast Calgarians who had bought memberships to vote in the nomination. They worry that many supporters may turn against the party or choose not to vote at all in the upcoming election.
Despite the internal discord within the Conservative Party, some believe that the average voter may not be aware of the inner workings of the parties. Their interest lies more in the party’s ideology and direction rather than the nomination process.
With the Liberals showing resurgence in polls and the past election results indicating a tough battle for the Conservatives in these ridings, the sidelined candidates are unsure of the party’s chances of winning. The decision to appoint candidates without holding nomination contests has also caused discord in other parts of the country, with some candidates choosing to run as independents in protest.
The Conservative activists in northeast Calgary are left grappling with the aftermath of the party’s nomination decisions, unsure of how it will impact the upcoming election and the party’s standing in the community.
