Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi, Preet Gill first Sikhs to be elected to Parliament

UK General Elections Results 2017

London : Indian-origin Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi has become the first Turban wearing Sikh, and Preet Gill, the first Sikh woman, to be elected to the British Parliament’s House of Commons in the UK General Election Results 2017. Both the Sikh candidates, Gill and Dhesi – are from Jeremy Corbyn’s Labour Party. Preet Gill won from Edgbaston seat defeating ruling Conservative party’s Caroline Squire, according to the reports. Gill was born and brought up in Edgbaston. The Labour National Executive Committee’s (NEC) interview panel had replaced Stuart with Gill on April 28.
“I am delighted I have been given the opportunity to become the next MP for Edgbaston where I was born and raised. I want to engage with the people of Edgbaston and with hard work, passion and determination I think we can achieve great things together,” Gill, said.
Preet Gill, councillor from Sandwell, became the first Sikh woman to be elected to the UK Parliament on June 8. The two Sikhs have added to the 10 Indian-origin MPs in the last UK Parliament. The other 10 Indian-origin members of the UK Parliament – five each from Labour Party and Conservative party – have managed to retain their seats.
In the UK General Elections 2017, there was a total of 50 Indian-origin candidates. While many of them lost, the 12 India-born Candidates have set a record for Indian-origin MPs in the House of Commons.
According to the reports, in UK General Elections 2017, another Indian-origin Labour candidate, Kuldip Sahota from Telford lost by 720 votes. India-born Alok Sharma who is also a minister for Asia in the Theresa May’s government has retained his Reading West seat while another Indian-origin Paul Uppal contesting from Wolverhampton South West lost to the Labour candidate. Priti Patel who has been International development secretary and Rishi Sunak from Conservative Party retained their Witham and Richmond Yorkshire seats respectively. Virendra Sharma won the Easling Southall seat and his fellow Neeraj Patil lost in Putney.