Québec solidaire will announce on Wednesday that former Bloc candidate Shophika Vaithyanathasarma will represent him in Marie-Victorin’s by-election in Longueuil. Among the political parties recognized in the National Assembly, only the Coalition Avenir Québec did not nominate a candidate.
Ms. Vaithyanathasarma participated as recently as last September in the federal general election, where she finished third in the riding of Rosemont – La Petite-Patrie for the Bloc Québécois. Early Tuesday morning, Québec solidaire was able to confirm to the Duty that he would formalize his inauguration on Wednesday.
The student in mathematics and sociology will play elbow with Pierre Nantel, the Parti Quebecois candidate in the Longueuil constituency, and with Émilie Nollet, of the Liberal Party of Quebec.
Among the parliamentary groups recognized in Parliament, three parties have therefore appointed a representative in Marie-Victorin. The Coalition d’avenir Québec is committed to appointing someone, but its choice is still pending.
It is also François Legault who will determine when the voters of Marie-Victorin elect their next representative. The electoral law obliges Quebec to call a partial ballot within six months of the vacancy of a deputy’s post. The former elected of the constituency, Catherine Fournier, left her seat when she became mayor of Longueuil last November.
Marie-Victorin’s partial will kick off the 2022 election year, which is due to end with a general ballot in October. This is the first complementary election since that of Jean-Talon, in 2019.
In December, a poll commissioned by the Parti Québécois placed its candidate at the top of the voting intentions in Marie-Victorin. Québec solidaire then appeared in third place, but without a nominated candidate.
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