CentreBC candidate for MLA in Abbotsford-Mission, who ran for the BC NDP in 2009 and 2013 and for the federal Liberals in 2021.
Lakhwinder Jhaj is the CentreBC candidate in Abbotsford-Mission. Reann Gasper of the Conservative Party won the district in 2024 with 13,523 votes (55.38 percent), ahead of Pam Alexis of the BC NDP with 10,894 (44.62 percent). CentreBC named her on 2026-08-30 for the by-election set for 2026-09-26, which was cancelled when the legislature was dissolved. The one subject she has named herself is reliable emergency care at Mission Memorial Hospital. voche.me found no measure from her with a number, a cost or a date on 2026-10-03.
A researched record of Lakhwinder Jhaj's candidacy in Abbotsford-Mission. Elections BC lists her with the affiliation CentreBC. Her one named priority is reliable emergency care in Mission. No source voche.me read gives a number, a cost or a date for any measure of hers.
On dates without a confirmed appearance the public schedule is unknown; the candidate may still have activities that day. This static page changes only when its research is updated.
01 / Introduction
About Lakhwinder Jhaj
Elections BC lists Lakhwinder Jhaj as the CentreBC candidate in Abbotsford-Mission. On the list stamped October 3, 2026 9:00:10 AM, the other accepted nominations in the district are Pam Alexis of the BC NDP and Darryl Kropp of the Conservative Party. Nominations close at 1 p.m. on October 3, 2026, so more candidates may be added. The Abbotsford News reported on 2026-09-28 that the Libertarian Party of BC has also announced Jeff Monds, who is not on the Elections BC list stamped October 3, 2026 9:00:10 AM.
Elections BC's statement of votes gives the 2024 result for the district: Reann Gasper of the Conservative Party 13,523 votes (55.38 percent) and Pam Alexis of the BC NDP, then the sitting member, 10,894 (44.62 percent). The Abbotsford News reported that Gasper resigned in August 2026 so that Conservative leader Kerry-Lynne Findlay could run for the seat, and that the Premier called a by-election for 2026-09-26. CBC News listed five candidates for it on 2026-09-05, including Jhaj for CentreBC. The Abbotsford News reported on 2026-09-28 that the by-election was cancelled when the Premier dissolved the legislature for the general election.
Elections BC lists a Lakhvinder Jhaj as the BC NDP candidate in Boundary-Similkameen in 2009, with 5,870 votes (32.91 percent), second behind John Slater of the BC Liberals, and in Abbotsford South in 2013, with 4,210 votes (21.02 percent), third behind Darryl Plecas of the BC Liberals and John van Dongen. Elections BC prints the first name with a v in those two records and with a w on the 2026 list. The party's page, the Abbotsford News, the Vancouver Sun and The Canadian Press all describe those two runs as hers. Elections Canada lists her as the Liberal candidate in Skeena-Bulkley Valley in 2021, fourth with 2,866 votes (7.7 percent), where Taylor Bachrach of the NDP won with 15,921. The Abbotsford News reports that she also sought the BC Liberal nomination in Abbotsford South in 2020 and did not win it. She told The Canadian Press that she left the NDP more than a decade ago, was a member of the BC Liberals, and that CentreBC "seems to be the home for me."
The CentreBC page about her says she came to Canada from India as a child in 1976, grew up partly in Mission, and has lived in the Fraser Valley since 2010. It says she has more than 20 years of experience running a construction company and a used vehicle dealership, has been Vice-President of Apna Homes Society, volunteered with the Abbotsford Hospice Society, served as a United Way representative and sat on the provincial board of the Affiliation of Multicultural Societies and Services Agencies of BC. It also lists a citizenship award, the B.C. Community Achievement Award and a Chamber of Commerce Woman of the Year Award. These are the party's statements. voche.me has not checked them with the organizations or the bodies that give the awards.
In the one statement quoted by CBC News she said one of the biggest issues locals face is access to emergency care, and that her focus would stay on "making sure Mission has reliable emergency care." She told the Vancouver Sun that Abbotsford-Mission has two parties that are "both extreme," one on the left and one on the right. The party's Bluesky account posted on 2026-09-18 that Mike de Jong, whom the post calls a former B.C. Finance Minister and MLA, supports her. voche.me found no statement from him. voche.me has not contacted the campaign.
Published positions and selected commitments, separated by election cycle. Status labels describe the evidence reviewed, not a numerical score or a complete audit of the platform. Council approval is different from delivery.
5 commitments shown · Checked Oct 3
2026 · Public servicesCampaign pledge
Reliable emergency care in Mission
In a statement quoted by CBC News she said her focus would be on making sure Mission has reliable emergency care. A CentreBC post of 2026-09-09 says she will work for practical solutions that improve access to doctors, urgent care, specialists and reliable emergency services in Abbotsford-Mission.
Evidence & next checks
Evidence reviewed
A statement of priority and approach. It names no measure the Province would adopt, no number of hours or staff, no cost and no date. Health authorities run emergency departments, so the measure she would ask for is unknown.
What still needs checking
Does she say which measure she would ask the Province for, for example staffing money for Mission Memorial Hospital, and by what date?
In the party's release of 2026-08-30 she says she is running because she believes the community deserves a voice that listens, works hard and puts local priorities first.
Evidence & next checks
Evidence reviewed
A reason for running. It names no measure, number, cost or date.
What still needs checking
Does she say how she would report to voters, for example a number of public meetings a year?
A CentreBC post of 2026-09-10 says people in Abbotsford-Mission spend too much time in traffic or commuting long distances to work, that a growing region needs transportation that keeps up, and that as MLA Lakhwinder Jhaj will work to make sure this happens.
Evidence & next checks
Evidence reviewed
The post names her as the person who will act and names no road, transit service, cost, number or date. It is a party post, and voche.me found no statement of hers on the subject.
What still needs checking
Does she name a highway, transit line or ferry measure she would ask the Province to fund, with a date?
Roads, water and sewer for growth, with low housing fees
A CentreBC post of 2026-09-13 says the party supports investing in roads, water, sewer and other infrastructure while keeping housing-related fees low and making sure housing targets reflect local realities.
Evidence & next checks
Evidence reviewed
The post is the party's. It does not name her and gives no fee level, number, cost or date.
What still needs checking
Does she repeat this in her own words and name a fee or a target?
Safe communities and help for people with mental health and addiction needs
A CentreBC post of 2026-09-16 says people should feel safe in their communities while knowing help is available for those struggling with mental health and addiction, and ends with a call to vote for her.
Evidence & next checks
Evidence reviewed
The post is a statement of approach from the party. It names no measure, number, cost or date, and it does not say what she would do.
What still needs checking
Does she say which policing, court or health measure she would support?
voche.me found no elected office held by her in the sources read on 2026-10-03, so there is no voting record to review. The dated actions listed are her earlier candidacies, shown from Elections BC and Elections Canada results.
Received 5,870 votes, 32.91 percent, second place
Ran for the BC NDP in Boundary-Similkameen
Elections BC's history of the 39th general election lists Jhaj, Lakhvinder, NDP, with 5,870 votes (32.91 percent) in Boundary-Similkameen. John Slater of the BC Liberals won with 6,681 (37.45 percent). The Abbotsford News and the party's page describe this as her run.
Scope, limits and sources
Running for office is no completed public work, so this action is tagged outside the scored issues. Elections BC prints the first name as Lakhvinder.
Elections BC's history of the 40th general election lists Jhaj, Lakhvinder, NDP, with 4,210 votes (21.02 percent) in Abbotsford South. Darryl Plecas of the BC Liberals won with 9,563 (47.74 percent). The Abbotsford News and the party's page describe this as her run.
Scope, limits and sources
Running for office is no completed public work, so this action is tagged outside the scored issues. Elections BC prints the first name as Lakhvinder.
Ran for the Liberal Party of Canada in Skeena-Bulkley Valley
Elections Canada's official results list Lakhwinder Jhaj, Liberal, with 2,866 votes (7.7 percent). Taylor Bachrach of the NDP won with 15,921 (42.6 percent). My Bulkley Lakes Now reported on 2021-08-20 that the party acclaimed her as its candidate.
Scope, limits and sources
Running for office is no completed public work, so this action is tagged outside the scored issues. The results page lists her residence as Abbotsford.
Read original statements and reporting, or open the publisher’s video. A summary of a speech is labelled separately from a full recording.
No reviewed entries have been added to this section yet. This is a research gap, not a finding about the candidate.
Accountability / Findings, disputes and responses
Controversies & public scrutiny
Records are labelled by type, including official findings, civil proceedings and political disputes where applicable. Each entry identifies the response found in the sources and the latest status verified for this page.
No reviewed entries have been added to this section yet. This is a research gap, not a finding about the candidate.
News coverage / Original publishers
Read the reporting
A dated reading list from independent publishers. The headings below are voche.me summaries; follow each link for the original article, context and any corrections.
Reporting
Abbotsford News · Dillon White
CentreBC announces its Abbotsford-Mission by-election candidate
Reports her nomination, quotes the party's release, and lists her earlier runs for the BC NDP and the federal Liberals, her 2020 bid for the BC Liberal nomination and her 2021 request to Abbotsford council.
CentreBC names candidate in the Abbotsford-Mission by-election
Quotes her saying voters are concerned about the internal fighting in the BC Conservatives, that she left the NDP more than a decade ago and was a member of the BC Liberals, and that CentreBC seems to be the home for her.
Conservative leader faces a test in the Abbotsford-Mission by-election
Describes CentreBC's candidate as a middle option between the NDP and the BC Conservatives. Quotes her saying the two parties in the district are both extreme.
Reports that the by-election was cancelled when the legislature was dissolved and that she is one of four candidates announced for the general election. Repeats the party's account of her earlier runs.
Sources checked October 3, 2026. Official records establish decisions; campaign material establishes stated positions; reporting adds investigation and context. None alone establishes every claim.
My Bulkley Lakes Now · Lindsay Newman · August 20, 2021
voche.me found no campaign website of her own and no social media account of hers on 2026-10-03. The party page links only to the party's own accounts. A search of the party's 100 newest Bluesky posts (2026-06-06 to 2026-10-02) found 17 that name her, the newest on 2026-09-18, and none after the by-election was cancelled on 2026-09-22. CentreBC has no 2026 platform: its policy page says its Policy Committee is still developing its first policy areas, so the party's position on each issue is unknown. Her views on housing, cost of living, public safety, the economy, education, climate, Indigenous reconciliation, taxes and the budget are unknown. Her own statements found are one CBC statement, a Canadian Press interview, a Vancouver Sun interview and a signed opinion piece. The party's statements about her are unchecked: the names of her businesses, her roles at Apna Homes Society, the Abbotsford Hospice Society, United Way and the Affiliation of Multicultural Societies and Services Agencies of BC, and the three awards. The BC Achievement Foundation lists a Lakhvinder Jhaj of Penticton as a 2004 community award recipient and describes work as president of the Penticton and District Multi-Cultural Society. No page voche.me read ties that person to this candidate, so none of it is used in her profile. Elections BC prints her first name as Lakhvinder in 2009 and 2013 and as Lakhwinder in 2026. The Abbotsford News, the Vancouver Sun and the Canadian Press describe both NDP runs as hers, and a person must decide whether that is enough to treat them as one person on the ballot page. The 2020 BC Liberal nomination bid and the board seat on the Liberal Party of Canada riding association come from the Abbotsford News alone. The Liberal riding page voche.me read lists only the riding chair. The Abbotsford council record of her 2021 request, and any Mission or Abbotsford all-candidates meetings, were not found. The party's Bluesky post of 2026-09-18 says Mike de Jong supports her. voche.me found no statement from him. Campaign finances and other endorsements were not found. Jeff Monds of the Libertarian Party of BC is not on the Elections BC list stamped October 3, 2026 9:00:10 AM, and nominations close at 1 p.m. on October 3, 2026, so other candidates may still be added. The questionnaire has not been sent.
Research status
What voche.me has checked
Evidence reviewed on 2026-10-03: the Elections BC candidate list and key dates page, the 2024 statement of votes, Elections BC's election history for 2009 and 2013, Elections Canada's 2021 results, the CentreBC page about her, its news release naming her, its Our Team, policy and news pages, the party's 100 newest public Bluesky posts (17 name her, the newest from 2026-09-18), reports in CBC News, the Abbotsford News, the Vancouver Sun and The Canadian Press, her signed opinion piece of 2026-09-12, the Liberal Party of Canada riding page, and the BC Achievement Foundation's awardee page.
Her positions come from one CBC statement, an interview, one signed opinion piece and party posts that name her. voche.me found no campaign website of her own and no social media account of hers on 2026-10-03. The party's statements about her work and awards have not been checked with the bodies that would know. An empty section records what voche.me did not find on this date.
03 / Background
Experience & community
Dates not given
Construction company and used vehicle dealership
The party says she has more than 20 years of experience operating both. Elections Canada's 2021 results list her occupation as "Owner/Operator, Construction". The Canadian Press reports that her family has a farm, a car dealership and a construction company. The business names are not given in any source voche.me read.
The party says she was Vice-President of Apna Homes Society, volunteered with the Abbotsford Hospice Society, served as a United Way representative and sat on the provincial board of the Affiliation of Multicultural Societies and Services Agencies of BC. voche.me has not checked any of these with the organizations.
Asked Abbotsford council to name a street for the Komagata Maru
The Abbotsford News reports that in 2021 she appeared by video before Abbotsford council to ask that a local street be named in memory of the 1914 Komagata Maru incident. It reports that the city renamed a section of South Fraser Way Komagata Maru Way in 2023, with the Descendants of the Komagata Maru Society and two other groups. It does not say her request led to that decision.
Board of the Liberal Party of Canada riding association in Mission-Matsqui-Abbotsford
The Abbotsford News reports that she was on this board as of November 2025, according to the Liberal Party of Canada website. The Liberal page voche.me read on 2026-10-03 names only the riding chair.
Proposed questions for a future interview. They have not been sent to the candidate, and no answers have been supplied.
What would you do first to keep the Mission Memorial Hospital emergency department open, and by what date?
No response has been submitted.
Which provincial measure on housing costs would you support, and what would it cost?
No response has been submitted.
What change to transportation in Abbotsford-Mission would you ask for, with a number and a date?
No response has been submitted.
Have your own question?
Ask Lakhwinder Jhaj directly. We send it to the campaign, and publish the reply here if we get one.
05 / About this page
Questions about this page
Facts voche.me can state about Lakhwinder Jhaj's page itself, answered directly rather than left blank.
Is this an official page for Lakhwinder Jhaj?
No. This page is researched by voche.me from public sources, listed below, and is separate from Lakhwinder Jhaj's own campaign.
What party is Lakhwinder Jhaj running with?
Lakhwinder Jhaj is running for MLA with Centre BC.
Does Lakhwinder Jhaj currently hold public office?
Not according to this profile. voche.me has not listed a current public office for Lakhwinder Jhaj.
How many sources does this Lakhwinder Jhaj profile cite?
This profile lists 9 sourced references, each with the date voche.me checked it, in the Sources section below.
Why do some questions on Lakhwinder Jhaj's page show no answer?
The "Questions & answers" section on this page lists questions voche.me would put to Lakhwinder Jhaj in a future interview. They have not been sent yet, so the page says plainly that no answer has been supplied instead of leaving the section blank.
When is the election Lakhwinder Jhaj is running in?
The 2026 British Columbia election, including the MLA race, is decided on October 24, 2026.
06 / Candidate contributions
Space for campaign updates
No campaign updates yet
Announcements, event details and messages can be added here, with their source and publication date. No campaign submission has been added.
