Who Is Ruby Dhalla, In Race To Become Canada's Next PM By Replacing Justin Trudeau?

Ruby Dhalla, former Indo-Canadian MP has announced her bid to participate in the leadership of the ruling Liberal Party to succeed Prime Minister Justin Trudeau.

She entered the race on the eve of the deadline for candidates to declare themselves, which was January 23, despite the fact that her campaign will have to submit a fee of 3,50,000 Canadian dollars ($243,195) to qualify as eligible.

After the announcement, Dhalla said that she would deport illegal immigrants if elected. "As Prime Minister, I will deport illegal immigrants and clamp down on human traffickers. That's my promise to you," she wrote on X.

In a race that features headliners such as former Deputy Prime Minister Chrystia Freeland and former central banker Mark Carney, along with Cabinet Minister Karina Gould and Indo-Canadian MP Chandra Arya, Dhalla is also one of the contestants.

Who Is Ruby Dhalla?

Born in Winnipeg, Manitoba, to Punjabi immigrants, Ruby Dhalla was first elected to the House fo Commons in 2004 from the erstwhile riding of Brampton-Springdale. She was among the first women of Indian origin to be elected to the House, along with Nina Grewal.

She was re-elected in 2006 and 2008, but lost in 2011 and opted not to contest in 2015 when the Liberals came into power with a majority.

Outside of her political career, Dhalla has also been a model, and is currently a hotelier.

She has also starred in a Bollywood-inspired film, Kyon? Kis Liye? and was the runner-up in the 1993 Miss India-Canada pageant.