There is officially a race for leadership of the BC NDP..Former federal NDP candidate and climate activist Anjali Appadurai threw her hat into the ring, challenging Attorney General David Eby..So far Eby and Appadurai are the only two contenders in the fight to replace Premier John Horgan, who in June announced his plan to step down once a new leader is chosen..The new leader will be elected Dec. 3, 2022. The deadline to join as an eligible voting member is September 4, with voting set to begin on November 13..Each candidate must be a member of the party in good standing for at least 90 days prior to the election date in order to run, and they must submit an application along with an initial entrance fee of $15,000 by October 4..“I believe in service to the community for the good of the whole, and it’s those views that led me to work in human rights and climate advocacy,” said Appadurai in a campaign video posted on social media..“I went from grassroots organizations all the way to the UN and back — and I realized along the way that our elected officials have no plan.”.Appadurai says her realization became “terrifyingly clear” after the province suffered wildfire, flooding, and a record-breaking heatwave last year..“And it’s not just climate,” she said, further highlighting healthcare, housing, and an overall “unraveling” system as her campaign's focal points..Appadurai was the federal NDP candidate for the riding of Vancouver-Granville in 2021's federal election, losing to Liberal Taleeb Noormohomed by less than 500 votes..The 32-year-old activist is also the director of campaigns for the Climate Emergency Unit, a Canadian organization whose overarching goal is to “press for the implementation of wartime-scale policies in Canada to confront the climate crisis.”.Eby — who comes from an activism background of his own — says he looks forward to debating Appadurai as an opportunity for a “healthy exchange” of ideas regarding how best to serve British Columbians..“I wish her luck, but not too much luck!” reads a social media post from the Attorney General..Eby boasts having the support of 48 members of the party’s 57-person caucus..Appadurai's campaign website can be found here, and Eby's here. One of them will be BC's new premier by year's end unless another challenger enters the race.
