Surrey civic party names its full slate of candidates

Surrey First Councillor and candidate for mayor Linda Annis on Wednesday announced Mike Bose, Bilal Cheema, Jasroop Gosal and Gagan Nahal will round out the Surrey First team of council candidates in the October municipal election. Council candidates Janet Brown, Deb Antifaev, Taj Sandhu and Clint Stewart were announced in October.

“We announced our team well ahead of the October election because we want to have some serious discussions with Surrey residents about their priorities and the future of our city,” said Annis. “We’re going to be the biggest city in the province in four short years, and will be the first city in B.C. to reach one million people. Unfortunately, Brenda Locke and her four councillors have spent their term trying to cancel or derail the police transition, which means other important issues such as crime and public safety, development and housing, affordability, and the need for more parks, pools, rinks and playing fields have been ignored or sidelined. Our Surrey First team wants to change that.”

Bose said that Surrey First has the vision the city needs.

“Our city’s potential is incredible, but we definitely need a mayor and council that can manage multiple priorities at the same time,” said Bose. “Council definitely needs to have a vision and a plan, and that’s been missing this term.”

“I know that Linda will work collaboratively with our local MLAs and MPs to build a Team Surrey approach, which includes flexing our city’s considerable political muscle in Ottawa and Victoria,” added Cheema. “We’re definitely not getting our share of infrastructure, healthcare, or education funding, and I’m looking forward to hearing from our Surrey voters about their priorities so we can hit the ground running. We have a lot of catching up to do.”

“I was drawn to Linda’s focus on growing Surrey’s business sector and strengthening our city’s economy, because too many people here are still commuting out of Surrey for work,” said Gosal. “I’ve spent my career working with businesses and local governments, and on council I want to put that experience to work creating good local jobs, supporting entrepreneurs, and making sure Surrey earns a serious reputation as a city that’s open for business.”

“The Surrey First commitment to more city hall transparency and community engagement definitely caught my attention,” said Nahal. “Linda’s got a well-earned reputation for stepping up for Surrey families and local neighbourhoods. Her experience, work ethic and years on council will give Surrey the leadership it needs as we shape our city for the future. I’m excited to join her talented and committed team and looking forward to going to work for the people of Surrey.”

Councillor Mike Bose is a fourth generation Cloverdale farmer who was elected to council in 2022.  A life-long advocate for Surrey agriculture and food security. Bose is chair of the Mutual Fire Insurance Company, and was a Cloverdale hockey coach for 30 years. A founder of the city’s Agriculture Advisory Committee, Bose has served on Metro Vancouver’s Agriculture Advisory Committee, Provincial Agriculture Land Commission and was president of the Surrey Farmers Institute.

Bilal Cheema holds a Business Administration degree from Simon Fraser University and spent nearly 20 years in government at both the political and public service levels. He later founded a government relations and business development firm. A former treaty negotiator, Cheema also served as Senior BC Advisor to the Minister of Fisheries and Oceans. He is Chair of the South Asian Community Hub, has served on the board of the Surrey Hospice Society and served on the Surrey Police Board until December 2025. In 2025, he received the King Charles III Coronation Medal for community service. Cheema and his family have called Surrey home for nearly 40 years.

Jasroop Gosal is Government Relations Manager with the BC Real Estate Association. Prior to joining the Real Estate Association, he was spokesperson and Policy and Research Manager with the Surrey Board of Trade. Gosal earned his Masters in Public Policy from the University of Saskatchewan. Active in the community, Gosal has served on various boards and committees, including the Employment Accessibility Technical Committee, Surrey Healthier Communities Partnership, and Guildford Community Advisory Committee. Gosal and his family live in Fleetwood.

Gagan Nahal is a graduate of the University of British Columbia with a major in political science and minor in Asian language and culture. He graduated with a Bachelor of Laws degree from the University of Leicester and was called the to the British Columbia Bar in 2020. Nahal is a criminal defence lawyer, and a recipient of the King Charles III Coronation Medal for his community service. He and his family reside in Surrey’s Panorama Ridge neighbourhood.