UK elections expected to yield diverse Parliament with increased representation of British Indian MPs

The UK general election on Thursday is expected to produce the most diverse Parliament in the country's history, with a notable increase in MPs of Indian descent likely to be elected across the nation.

According to a British Future think tank analysis, if the Labour Party wins a majority, it will have the largest number of ethnic minority MPs, potentially even more in a landslide. Approximately 14 percent of MPs are anticipated to come from ethnic minority backgrounds, bringing Parliament closer to reflecting the British electorate's diversity. In a constituency with a large Punjabi electorate, two British Sikh candidates, Sangeet Kaur Bhail and Jaginder Singh, are running as Independents.

Key British Indian candidates to watch include Praful Nargund for Labour in Islington North, the seat previously held by suspended Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn, now running as an Independent. Jas Athwal is contesting Labour's stronghold of Ilford South, while Baggy Shanker in Derby South, Satvir Kaur in Southampton Test, and Harpreet Uppal in Huddersfield are competing in more marginal seats.

Rajesh Agrawal, the Indore-born former Deputy Mayor of London for Business, is contesting Leicester East against fellow British Indian Conservative candidate Shivani Raja. This constituency, with a significant Indian heritage electorate, will be closely watched, especially with former long-term MP Keith Vaz also running as an Independent.

British Sikhs like solicitor Warinder Juss from Wolverhampton West and Gurinder Singh Josan from Smethwick are hopeful of gains for Labour. Additionally, Bihar-born Kanishka Narayan in Vale of Glamorgan aims to become the first Indian-origin MP from Wales, while Sonia Kumar looks to overturn a Tory majority in Dudley.

"This election will see the biggest rise in ethnic minority representation and the most diverse Parliament ever," said Sunder Katwala, Director of British Future. He highlighted that in 40 years, the number of ethnic minority MPs has grown from zero to one in seven, rapidly closing the gap between Parliament's diversity and that of the electorate.

The 2019 general election saw 15 MPs of Indian heritage elected, many of whom are running again, alongside several newcomers. Notable British Indians like Conservative MP Alok Sharma and Labour veteran Virendra Sharma are not seeking re-election from Reading West and Ealing Southall, respectively.