Nepean Betrayal: The Liberal Party Used Chandra Arya and Handed His Seat to Mark Carney

In what is being described as one of the most politically calculated and ethically questionable moves in recent memory, former leadership candidate and long-time Member of Parliament Chandra Arya has revealed that he was formally removed as a Liberal candidate in the upcoming federal election—this time not just from the party leadership race, but from the ballot altogether. The reason? Mark Carney, the Liberal Party’s newly coronated Prime Minister, the heir to Justin Trudeau, will now be running in Arya’s Nepean riding.

This wasn’t a coincidence. It was a coordinated move—a tactical, behind-the-scenes reshuffling executed with clinical precision and zero public accountability. What makes this more than just internal party politics is the fallout now erupting in the South Asian community, which feels not only sidelined but blatantly exploited.

Let’s be clear: Arya wasn’t just shown the door. He built a campaign. He raised funds. He mobilized volunteers. He laid the groundwork for the upcoming election with the kind of community outreach that takes years—not months—to cultivate. The riding association benefited from that work. So did the party. And now, Mark Carney is walking into that infrastructure, that donor base, and that political capital like it’s a free inheritance.

The Liberal Party’s silence on Arya’s disqualification from the leadership race earlier this year already raised eyebrows. Now, with this latest maneuver, there’s no avoiding the optics: Arya, a South Asian MP with a long-standing record of service, was sidelined without explanation so Carney could claim a seat he never earned. And while Carney could have chosen from a dozen other open ridings across Canada—including in Toronto, Alberta, or Quebec—he chose Nepean, a diverse and hard-fought riding where Arya’s presence had created deep ties with constituents.

To say Carney is benefiting off the backs of South Asian donors would be an understatement. This is more than just a takeover—it’s a repurposing of Arya’s political machine without credit, without compensation, and without consent. Even more disturbing are the reports that funds raised under the banner of Arya’s campaign—including significant sums from the community, as well as the unresolved $350,000 tied to Ruby Dhalla’s supporters—have been absorbed by the party without transparency or reimbursement. This is not just poor optics; it’s a breach of trust.

The implications go beyond Nepean. This is a message, intentional or not, to racialized communities across Canada: that their loyalty can be counted on, their money can be collected, their candidates can be removed, and their voices can be conveniently muted when it’s politically expedient. That kind of exploitation doesn’t go unnoticed.

Carney may be banking on his name recognition and economic pedigree to glide into Parliament, but he’s walking into a minefield. If Arya chooses to run as an independent—or even under another party banner—Carney’s seat is far from safe. A loss would not only humiliate the Liberals but trigger a full-blown legitimacy crisis for a leader who, despite hypothetically winning the federal election, couldn’t even hold his own seat.

This episode exposes a deeper rot: a party that professes diversity while undermining its own diverse voices. If Mark Carney and the Liberal Party truly valued inclusion, they wouldn’t be elbowing out South Asian MPs in favour of political convenience. They’d be supporting them, amplifying them, and giving them a fair shot at leadership—not quietly erasing them when a preferred candidate steps into the spotlight.

This wasn’t just a political calculation. It was a betrayal. And unless the Liberals reverse course or offer a serious explanation, they risk burning bridges with a community they’ve long taken for granted. Canada deserves better than this kind of cynical politics, and so do the people of Nepean.