Liberal leadership hopeful Chandra Arya says party informed him he can't enter the contest

Nepean MP Chandra Arya says he's been informed by the Liberal Party of Canada he's not permitted to run in the leadership contest to replace Prime Minister Justin Trudeau.

In a statement posted to social media, Arya said the party notified him on Saturday.

"While I await their official communication, I am carefully considering my next steps," Arya said.

"This decision raises significant questions about the legitimacy of the leadership race and, by extension, the legitimacy of the next prime minister of Canada."

Parker Lund, a spokesperson for the Liberal Party, confirmed to CBC News in an email that Arya "will not be a candidate for leader of the Liberal Party."

Under Section 4(c)iii of the Liberal Party's national leadership rules, a panel of party officials who vet contenders can find a candidate has not satisfied "mandatory criteria" or "a prospective candidate is manifestly unfit for the office of Leader of the Party."

The party must advise the candidate of their reasons for disqualification and weigh the candidate's response in making a final judgment on eligibility.

CBC News has reached out to Arya's campaign and asked if he has received any official reasons for his disqualification.

Arya was one of seven leadership hopefuls who reported they submitted their nomination packages by the Liberal Party's deadline of 5 p.m. ET on Thursday and met the first financial hurdle to enter the race. 

The other candidates are former Bank of Canada governor Mark Carney, former finance minister and deputy prime minister Chrystia Freeland, House leader Karina Gould, Nova Scotia Indigenous MP Jaime Battiste and former Liberal MPs Frank Baylis and Ruby Dhalla.

After the deadline passed on Thursday, party spokesperson Parker Lund told CBC News the party will approve candidates "within 10 days." Elections Canada will also need to approve them, he said, which could take several days.

Lund said the party will only confirm official candidates once they have been fully approved.

In his statement, Arya thanked volunteers and said he remains "steadfast in my commitment to working hard for the benefit of all Canadians. With a focused approach, I will continue striving to ensure a secure and prosperous future for the generations to come." 

Arya was the first sitting MP to launch a leadership campaign and vowed to dump the monarchy if elected. He also said he doesn't speak French and doesn't believe it will matter to French-speaking Canadians.

The Nepean MP was elected in 2015 and has been a backbench MP ever since.

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Arya hasn't always been in line with the government's policies. In 2023, he sponsored a petition calling on the Liberals to reconsider plans to introduce a foreign agent registry in response to serious allegations of foreign interference in Canadian politics. The registry legislation has since passed, but it's not yet up and running.

His ties to India have raised eyebrows amid worsening diplomatic relations.

Last summer, Arya travelled to India and met with Prime Minister Narendra Modi. A statement from Global Affairs Canada at the time said Arya "travelled to India on his own initiative and was not representing the Government of Canada."

During an interview on CBC's Power and Politics, Arya defended his meeting with Modi and said he's met with several foreign leaders in the past. Arya also said he "absolutely" supported the government's foreign agent registry.