The BC NDP Leadership Controversy: David Eby’s rise, Appadurai’s disqualification, and how it highlights the party’s neoliberal shift and grassroots tensions.

David Eby’s rise to leadership of the BC NDP in 2022 was marked by controversy, revealing deep flaws in the party’s internal democracy and highlighting its increasing alignment with neoliberal politics. For those hoping the NDP might still champion progressive change, this episode serves as a stark reminder of the party’s reluctance to embrace grassroots movements or challenge the status quo.

Eby’s leadership bid came after the resignation of former premier John Horgan. While his ascension seemed inevitable to party insiders, climate activist Anjali Appadurai’s surprise candidacy briefly disrupted the narrative. Appadurai’s campaign resonated with progressives, focusing on climate justice and bold systemic reforms. Her grassroots-driven effort attracted widespread support, including an estimated 13,000 new party members—significantly more than Eby’s campaign reportedly recruited.

However, instead of welcoming this surge of energy and engagement, the NDP establishment moved swiftly to quash her candidacy. Elizabeth Cull, the NDP’s Chief Electoral Officer, launched an investigation into Appadurai’s campaign, accusing her of violating party rules by collaborating with third-party environmental groups. Critics argue these claims were overblown and strategically deployed to eliminate her as a contender. The investigation resulted in Appadurai’s disqualification, effectively handing Eby the leadership unopposed.

This disqualification was widely criticized as an orchestrated effort to protect the party’s establishment from a candidate who posed a genuine challenge to its neoliberal trajectory. Appadurai’s progressive platform threatened to upend the NDP’s shift toward corporate-friendly policies and lukewarm stances on critical issues like housing, climate change, and social justice. Her removal not only undermined the legitimacy of the leadership race but also exposed the party’s unwillingness to tolerate dissent or embrace bold ideas.

Under Horgan and now Eby, the BC NDP has increasingly mirrored the Liberal Party in its policies, prioritizing developer interests and incremental reforms over transformative change. This neoliberal drift is at odds with the NDP’s roots as a party for workers and marginalized communities. Instead, it has become a pro-capitalist entity cloaked in progressive rhetoric, sidelining grassroots voices in favor of maintaining power.

Eby’s premiership, forged through a leadership race many view as rigged, has been overshadowed by questions about the party’s internal democracy. For progressives, the NDP’s actions signal that meaningful change will not come from within the party’s current structure. The establishment’s preference for stability and predictability over risk-taking and reform has alienated the very base the party claims to represent.

The NDP’s handling of the Appadurai affair underscores a broader pattern: a party that pays lip service to progressive ideals while actively resisting grassroots movements that demand accountability and action. This failure to align with the needs of its base not only damages the party’s credibility but also limits its ability to address the systemic crises facing British Columbia and all of Canada.

For those on the left, the lesson is clear: the BC NDP cannot be relied upon as a vehicle for progressive change. Without a dramatic shift in leadership and values, the party risks further alienating voters and solidifying its reputation as a neoliberal institution masquerading as progressive.