There is much delight in Britain’s Sikh community over the re-election of Preet Kaur Gill – the first Sikh woman MP – and Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi – the first turban-wearing Sikh MP in the House of Commons.
With their roots in Jalandhar, Tanmanjeet Dhesi, Preet Gill, have been MPs earlier too.
Preet Kaur Gill, who had made history in the 2017 election as the first British Sikh female MP, was re-elected from Birmingham Edgbaston with 21,217 votes.
Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi, the first turban-wearing Sikh MP, said that he was “immensly grateful” after retaining his seat in the Berkshire constituency by securing 29,421 seats.
Britain’s first turbaned Sikh MP and Labour Party candidate Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi retained his seat with an impressive 13,640 majority, having polled 29,421 votes from Slough in south-east England.
Dhesi hails from Raipur village of Jalandhar district and is nephew of Congress leader and SGPC member Paramjit Singh Raipur while Preet Kaur Gill belongs to Jamsher Khera village in the district.
Another Punjab-origin candidate Gagan Mohindra of the Conservative Party won from South West Hertfordshire by polling 30,327 votes. He is a member of the Essex County Council and Epping Forest District Council and the county council’s cabinet member for finance, property and housing. He is also a member of the Conservative Friends of India, a lobby group within the party.