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City council · updated 13 Oct 2026

Ward 20 Scarborough Southwest

Who is running for Toronto City Council in Ward 20 Scarborough Southwest in the October 26, 2026 municipal election: how the 8 certified candidates differ, what they have committed to, and whether the City could deliver it. Information as of 13 Oct 2026.

8 candidates: Laikul Choudhury, Naser Kaid, Parthi Kandavel, Ariel-Rachel Karokis, Luigi Lisciandro, Sharmina Nasrin, Mohammad Ali Reza, Kevin Rupasinghe. Incumbent: Parthi Kandavel.

Open the interactive guide for this race to filter by issue, keep or rule out candidates and compare them.

How to vote

  • Election day is Monday, October 26, 2026, 10 a.m. to 8 p.m.
  • Find your voting place and check you're on the list at myvote.toronto.ca.
  • Bring one document with your name and Toronto address. No photo is needed.
  • Official details: toronto.ca/elections.

What council and the mayor decide

  • The mayor and 25 councillors each have one vote; most decisions need a majority, so one councillor cannot change a by-law or the budget alone.
  • The mayor proposes the budget, can veto council's budget changes and some by-laws (two-thirds of council overrides), and can pass by-laws on provincial priorities with one-third support.
  • Council sets property tax, the budget, zoning and by-laws, and runs services such as roads, parks, water, shelters and libraries.
  • Developers can appeal planning decisions to the Ontario Land Tribunal, a provincial body council cannot overrule; since 2024 most residents cannot appeal.
  • The Province decides rent control and evictions, new schools, GO trains and the Ontario Line, highway tolls, bike lanes that remove a traffic lane, and election rules.
  • Council sets the police budget total and the TTC subsidy; the police board and Chief decide how policing works, and the TTC Board runs transit.

Where they differ

Candidates grouped by what they have said.

More homes such as sixplexes or midrises on neighbourhood streets (Housing)

  • Opposes sixplexes beside single-family homes: Kandavel
  • Supports more housing types, such as midrises: Rupasinghe
  • Backs development that adds homes while respecting local streets: Nasrin
  • No position found: Choudhury, Kaid, Karokis, Lisciandro, Reza

Commit to one RapidTO bus or streetcar lane in the ward this term (TTCriders survey) (Transit)

Kandavel wrote that he would support red bus lanes at weekday rush hours only.

More bike lanes in the ward (Roads and cycling)

  • Said he opposed extending Danforth Ave bike lanes east of Victoria Park: Kandavel
  • Supports a connected cycling network, within provincial law: Rupasinghe
  • No position found: Choudhury, Kaid, Karokis, Lisciandro, Nasrin, Reza

More for police, or more for other responders (Policing and safety)

Kandavel's position is a TTCriders survey Yes on expanding the crisis service across the TTC; Nasrin and Rupasinghe also said Yes.

  • Support and fund the police: Karokis
  • Move some police work to crisis workers, traffic wardens and cameras: Rupasinghe
  • More crisis response, including on the TTC: Nasrin, Kandavel
  • No position found: Choudhury, Kaid, Lisciandro, Reza

Little disagreement, or few spoke: Homelessness, Taxes and budget, City services, Flooding and infrastructure, Parks and waterfront, Environment, Small business, Community services, Governance. See Issue by issue.

The candidates

8 certified, in alphabetical order. Each card counts the commitments on record and how many are firm (pledged, or “will push for”), then shows the 4 they lead with. Counts reflect how much a candidate has published and how they phrase it; more is not better. Chips show how feasible each is and how firmly it was stated. Surveys and forums counted: Beach Metro profile, Sept 28 all-candidates meeting, Build Canada, TTCriders survey, TTCriders pledge, Environmental Alliance pledge, Cycle Toronto.

Laikul Choudhury

No campaign website, platform or survey answers found.

No commitments found.

Record
No earlier City or school board candidacy found.
Endorsements
None found.
Surveys, forums
0 of 7. Took part in none.

All sources for Choudhury

Naser Kaid

No campaign website, platform or survey answers found.

No commitments found.

Record
A Naser Kaid ran in the 2023 Ward 20 by-election; not confirmed as the same person. Unverified
Endorsements
None found.
Surveys, forums
0 of 7. Took part in none.

All sources for Kaid

Parthi Kandavel

Ward 20 councillor since a November 2023 by-election; Toronto District School Board trustee 2014–2022. Leads on local say over growth and data centres, road safety, transit, arts, parks, and growth that comes with infrastructure.

Top commitments

19 on record, 8 firm.

  • Community say on local growth and data centres (Realistic; Pledges).
    Sources
  • Speed humps, stop signs and new traffic signals (Already exists; Will push for).
    Sources
  • More frequent buses on overcrowded routes (Possible but hard; Will push for).
    Sources
  • New murals and more City funding for Scarborough artists (Possible but hard; Will push for).
    Sources
Record
Moved Council's data-centre review motion (25-0); voted against sixplexes.
Endorsements
None listed for 2026.
Surveys, forums
3 of 7. Took part: Beach Metro profile, Sept 28 all-candidates meeting, TTCriders survey.

All sources for Kandavel

Campaign site

Ariel-Rachel Karokis

Background in property management and development, she says. Leads on building streets and sidewalks, support for local business and police, and voting against tax increases.

Self-reported: career

Top commitments

8 on record, 3 firm.

Record
No earlier City or school board candidacy found.
Endorsements
None found.
Surveys, forums
2 of 7. Took part: Beach Metro profile, Sept 28 all-candidates meeting.

All sources for Karokis

Luigi Lisciandro

No campaign website, platform or survey answers found.

No commitments found.

Record
A Luigi Lisciandro ran in Ward 21 in 2022; not confirmed as the same person. Unverified
Endorsements
None found.
Surveys, forums
0 of 7. Took part in none.

All sources for Lisciandro

Sharmina Nasrin

Former Ontario public servant and MPP constituency assistant, she says; came from Bangladesh about nine years ago. Leads on housing and tenants, transit, opportunity and community.

Self-reported: career

Top commitments

21 on record, 19 firm.

Record
No earlier City or school board candidacy found.
Endorsements
None found.
Surveys, forums
3 of 7. Took part: Beach Metro profile, Sept 28 all-candidates meeting, TTCriders survey.

All sources for Nasrin

Campaign site

Mohammad Ali Reza

Says he has lived in the ward for years and worked with local groups and small businesses. Leads on listening to residents, safer communities, local services and opportunity.

Self-reported: background

Top commitments

12 on record, 7 firm.

  • More programs and events for seniors (Vague; Will push for).
    Sources
  • Better sports and recreation for children (Vague; Will push for).
    Sources
  • Help people overcome unemployment (Vague; Will push for).
    Sources
  • Support for local businesses to grow (Vague; Will push for).
    Sources
Record
No earlier City or school board candidacy found.
Endorsements
None found.
Surveys, forums
0 of 7. Took part in none.

All sources for Reza

Campaign site

Kevin Rupasinghe

Transportation engineer, he says; second in the 2023 Ward 20 by-election and third in 2022. Leads on affordable homes with services, transit and roads, safe streets, and a sustainable, resilient future.

Self-reported: occupation

Top commitments

68 on record, 15 firm.

Record
No City office held. Third here in 2022 (13.7%); second in the 2023 by-election (22.7%).
Endorsements
Toronto & York Region Labour Council.
Surveys, forums
7 of 7. Took part: Beach Metro profile, Sept 28 all-candidates meeting, Build Canada, TTCriders survey, TTCriders pledge, Environmental Alliance pledge, Cycle Toronto.

All sources for Rupasinghe

Campaign site

Issue by issue

One line per candidate, as firmly as they stated it.

Housing

  • Kandavel: Opposes sixplexes beside single-family homes, citing parking, waste and shadowing; will push for new density to come with infrastructure, child care and parks..
    Sources
  • Nasrin: Will fight renovictions and push RentSafeTO enforcement; supports affordable and non-profit housing and development that respects local streets..
    Sources
  • Reza: Supports accessible housing options as part of his opportunity priority; no measure stated..
    Sources
  • Rupasinghe: Supports affordable housing on City land and midrise options; would advocate a larger City role as a direct housing provider..
    Sources

No position found: Choudhury, Kaid, Karokis, Lisciandro.

Transit

No position found: Choudhury, Kaid, Lisciandro.

Roads and cycling

No position found: Choudhury, Kaid, Lisciandro.

Policing and safety

No position found: Choudhury, Kaid, Lisciandro.

Other issues

Reality check

Could the City actually do it? Each proposal is rated once, the same way in every race. A rating is about the proposal, not the candidate.

Realistic

  • Earlier and deeper community consultation on development: Kandavel
  • Job fairs and employment services in the ward: Nasrin

Possible but hard

  • Specific TTC service changes: Kandavel, Nasrin, Rupasinghe. Decides: TTC Board, within the subsidy Council approves.
  • More arts funding: Kandavel. Decides: City Council (budget).
  • Crosswalk murals and graffiti walls: Kandavel. Decides: City Council.
  • Property tax freeze: Karokis. Decides: The mayor proposes the budget; council can amend it.
  • Bigger retrofit programs, City pays more upfront: Rupasinghe. Decides: City Council.

Already exists

  • Safer crossings, school zones, traffic calming: Kandavel
  • Tighter enforcement against renovictions: Nasrin
  • More non-market housing on City land: Rupasinghe

Vague

  • Catch up on repairs (no measure named): Karokis
  • Support main streets and local businesses: Karokis, Reza
  • Value for tax dollars (no measure named): Karokis
  • Protect or improve services (no measure named): Nasrin
  • Community programs or support (no measure named): Reza
  • Better parks and public spaces: Reza
  • More job training (no program named): Reza
  • Safer streets (no measure named): Rupasinghe

Every catalogued commitment, by candidate

Alphabetical. Firm: pledged, or “will push for”. Counts reflect how much each candidate has published and how they phrase it; more commitments is not a better platform. Proposals a candidate opposes are not counted.

  • Choudhury: 0 on record, 0 firm
  • Kaid: 0 on record, 0 firm
  • Kandavel: 19 on record, 8 firm. Realistic 1 · Possible but hard 8 · Outside City control 2 · Already exists 2 · Vague 6
  • Karokis: 8 on record, 3 firm. Possible but hard 1 · Vague 7
  • Lisciandro: 0 on record, 0 firm
  • Nasrin: 21 on record, 19 firm. Realistic 1 · Possible but hard 5 · Already exists 4 · Vague 10 · Not rated 1
  • Reza: 12 on record, 7 firm. Vague 12
  • Rupasinghe: 68 on record, 15 firm. Realistic 5 · Possible but hard 22 · Outside City control 6 · Already exists 5 · Vague 22 · Not rated 8

Numbers checked

Up to two checked figures per candidate, and every checked claim about a rival, compared with official records or dated news.

Figures candidates cite

  • Mostly accurate: Kandavel: says "we have secured" a new Scarborough Arena Gardens. It reopened in December 2025, in his term; the rebuild was planned in 2022, before it..
    Sources
  • Misleading: Kandavel: his site tags 705 Victoria Park rental homes as delivered. The City says construction began in October 2025..
    Sources
  • Misleading: Karokis: shootings are at an all-time high. Police data show the local division peaked in 2024; 2025 and 2026 are far lower..
    Sources
  • Misleading: Karokis: car thefts are at an all-time high. Police data show peaks in 2023 citywide and 2024 locally; 2026 is up on 2025 but below those peaks..
    Sources
  • Accurate: Nasrin: ward unemployment is 16.4%, above Toronto's 13.9%. The 2021 Census ward profile shows the same figures..
    Sources
  • Inaccurate: Nasrin: renters and owners are 34% each. The 2021 Census shows 45.7% rent and 54.3% own..
    Sources
  • Inaccurate: Rupasinghe (Build Canada): a commercial parking levy would raise $0.5–1.5 billion a year. The City estimates $100–108 million..
    Sources
  • Accurate: Rupasinghe (platform): the parking levy could raise up to $100 million a year. The City estimates $100–108 million..
    Sources

Claims about rivals

  • Misleading: Rupasinghe: Kandavel could have paused the data centre expansion but let it continue. Council adopted Kandavel's motion 25-0, timing the decision for 2027 rather than a formal pause..
    Sources

Sources, method and corrections

Sources by candidate: Choudhury, Kaid, Kandavel, Karokis, Lisciandro, Nasrin, Reza, Rupasinghe.

Method: Built from 504 sourced rows read 11 October 2026: candidates' own materials, City records, dated news and organizers' surveys. Each proposal is rated once, the same way in every race. Positions are recorded only as firmly as stated. An agent that did not draft the page checked it before publication. Labels appear only on facts that are not confirmed. The rubric defines ratings and strength words. Source dates shown without a year are in 2026.

Corrections: 13 October 2026: Cross-ward check: record lines now follow guide-wide rules; bare platform items read Supports and "I intend to" reads Would advocate (Rupasinghe); Reza's "listening, working and standing beside you" counts as a commitment; tallies leave out opposed proposals.

Researched and drafted with AI, checked against linked sources. To report an error: corrections@spinfilterto.ca.

This guide is independent and non-partisan. It does not recommend, rank or score candidates.