B.C. NDP ousts Anjali Appadurai from leadership race, paving way for David Eby to become premier

The B.C. NDP executive has voted to disqualify Anjali Appadurai from its leadership race, effectively crowning David Eby as the new premier of British Columbia.

Appadurai's disqualification leaves Eby, the former attorney general and housing minister, as the only eligible candidate to succeed Premier John Horgan, who is due to step down on Dec. 3. 

The party says chief electoral officer Elizabeth Cull is now considering moving up the date for the leadership vote.

After an hours-long, closed-door meeting Wednesday night, the party sent out a short statement announcing Appadurai's disqualification, which followed an investigation into a wave of new membership sign-ups during the campaign.

"The B.C. NDP executive has voted to support the chief electoral officer's recommendation to disqualify Anjali Appadurai as a candidate as a sanction for violating the rules," president Aaron Sumexheltza said in the release, adding that it's been "a challenging period for members of the party."

Appadurai said she would not comment on the decision until Thursday afternoon, when she has scheduled a press conference outside the legislature.

Wednesday night's announcement prompted a swift negative response from B.C.'s opposition parties.

"David Eby will preside over a government that has suppressed criticism and accountability by making information hard, and sometimes impossible, to access. The way the B.C. NDP has handled its leadership contest is no different," Green MLA Adam Olsen said in a written statement. 

Liberal MLA Elenore Sturko accused the NDP of "subvert[ing] the democratic process" and shutting out new party members who support Appadurai.

"It's clear that in the NDP it's all about who you know and who you strike deals with and has nothing to do with merit or even the number of supporters you can sign up. David's dirty deeds have revealed that it's all a sham," Sturko said.

The disqualification comes after Cull recommended Appadurai not be allowed to run in a report that was leaked on Tuesday.

Cull's investigation found Appadurai, 32, broke campaign rules by improperly co-ordinating with third parties to encourage more people to sign up for party membership by Sept. 4 to vote in the leadership race.

"Because no other remedy can adequately address the failings and breaches of the Appadurai campaign in this leadership election contest, the CEO has reached the difficult conclusion that Ms. Appadurai should be disqualified as a candidate," read the report.

"The improper co-ordination ... played such a significant role in the Appadurai campaign that it is impossible to create a level playing field at this point, and thus impossible to restore the leadership election campaign to a state of integrity in which I could have confidence."