Former NDP MP Jasbir Sandhu is mulling a run A for Surrey city council. Sandhu told Surrey Now-Leader newspaper he’s thinking “very seriously” about running for council after his telephone has been ringing for the last couple of months with supporters asking him to run. He said he hasn’t yet decided if he’ll run for mayor or councillor, “but more likely councillor” if he does. Current Liberal MP Sukh Dhaliwal has said he’s interested in running for Surrey mayor but no announcement has been made on his bid or if he will actually run for the post.

By DESIBUZZCanada Staff With News Files

SURREY – Former NDP MP Jasbir Sandhu is mulling a run A for Surrey city council.

Sandhu told Surrey Now-Leader newspaper he’s thinking “very seriously” about running for council after his telephone has been ringing for the last couple of months with supporters asking him to run.

He said he hasn’t yet decided if he’ll run for mayor or councillor, “but more likely councillor” if he does.

“I’ve been hearing from a lot of people that live in Surrey and the phone calls that I’ve gotten over the last couple of months is that city hall hasn’t been transparent and it hasn’t been accountable, it’s broken and it needs to be fixed, and you have the political experience and we would like you to consider running for the civic body.”

Sandhu has lived in Surrey for 42 years.

 “My youngest one still goes to high school here and I have a lot of vested interest in Surrey to look at this opportunity to give back to the community,” he said. He has not yet decided, if he does run, to run as an independent or with a slate. “I have been approached by other slates.”

Besides Sandhu, current Liberal MP Sukh Dhaliwal has said he’s interested in running for Surrey mayor but no announcement has been made on his bid or if he will actually run for the post.

The next civic election is Oct. 15.

Sandhu, who was the NDP MP for Surrey North from 2011 to 2015, defeated Conservative MP Dona Cadman in 2011 before he himself was defeated by Randeep Sarai in a Liberal sweep, for the new Surrey-Centre riding, in 2015.

He served as the NDP’s critic for public safety under Jack Layton and sat on three standing committees including public safety and national security, international trade, and justice and human rights.