Anita Anand may replace Trudeau: Know all about the Indian-origin leader

Anita Anand has been a member of parliament since 2019, and has held several key portfolios.

As Justin Trudeau steps down after almost a decade as Canada’s prime minister, the race for his successor is heating up. With only two months left until the March 24 deadline for selecting a new leader, Canada's Transport Minister Anita Anand is among the frontrunners for the position of Prime Minister.

Here is all you need to know about Anita Anand.

•Anand, originally from Tamil Nadu, has been one of the key figures in the Liberal Party ever since she entered politics in 2019, representing Oakville, a suburb of Toronto.

•Anand (57) was born and raised in Kentville in Nova Scotia. She is the daughter of Saroj D Ram and SV (Andy) Anand, both Indian physicians of Tamil and Punjabi religions, respectively.

•Anand has two sisters, Gita and Sonia. In 1985, she relocated to Ontario, where she settled in Oakville with her husband, John, and together they raised their four children.

•In 1995, Anand married John Knowlton, a Canadian lawyer and business executive. They met during her post graduation in law at the University of Toronto. She has represented Oakville in the House of Commons since 2019.

•Anand was a scholar, lawyer, and researcher. She also taught law at the University of Toronto, where she held the JR Kimber Chair in Investor Protection and Corporate Governance. She also served as Associate Dean and was a member of the Governing Board of Massey College, and the Director of Policy and Research at the Capital Markets Institute, Rotman School of Management. She has also taught law at Yale Law School, Queen’s University, and Western University.

•Anand has made many important contributions to her political career. She was praised for her efforts to secure vaccines during Covid-19 while serving as Minister of Public Services and Procurement. She became Canada’s Minister of Defence in 2021. She then took on key responsibilities, including supporting Ukraine during the war with Russia and resolving issues with Canadian Armed Forces personnel.

•In 2021, she was given the charge of being Minister of National Defence. In her role, she brought about fundamental reforms to Canada's military. Her noteworthy contributions include reforms to address cases of sexual misconduct in the Canadian Armed Forces.

Despite facing a controversial cabinet shuffle that moved her to the Treasury Board, Anand remains one of the favourites in the cabinet.

(With PTI inputs)