Deputy leader's defection reshapes the Ontario NDP's position

Doly Begum, the Ontario NDP's deputy leader, has left the provincial party to run as a federal Liberal and will seek the Scarborough Southwest seat in a federal byelection.

Doly Begum, deputy leader of the Ontario NDP, has announced she will run for the federal Liberal Party. She must first contest a federal byelection in Scarborough Southwest to win a seat. The move has been reported as notable for both the provincial NDP and the federal Liberals. Key facts: - Doly Begum announced she is leaving the Ontario NDP to seek a federal Liberal nomination. - She is required to win the Scarborough Southwest federal byelection before taking a seat in Ottawa. - Liberal MP Nate Erskine-Smith has announced he will run for the provincial seat Begum vacates. Summary: The article reports Begum's departure as creating an opening for the federal Liberals and prompting movement among provincial Liberal hopefuls. The immediate next step is the Scarborough Southwest federal byelection; further outcomes are undetermined at this time.