Independent Abbotsford-South Langley candidate Mike de Jong says he supports the formation of a Conservative government, despite the party snubbing him prior to the riding鈥檚 nomination vote.

De Jong and his campaign manager, Marty Snider, have posted on social media about de Jong鈥檚 stance.

鈥淲hile I鈥檓 running as an Independent, I remain committed to the conservative principles that have guided my entire political career,鈥� de Jong wrote.

鈥淚f elected, I鈥檒l work with Conservative MPs on responsible government and fiscal discipline, while prioritizing my community鈥檚 needs above party lines.鈥�

Snider responded online after a resident asked how, if de Jong is elected and takes away a Conservative seat, that will help get rid of the Liberals.

鈥淢ike supports the formation of a Conservative government. This means should the conservatives need a seat to enable them to form government, they can count on him to support them,鈥� Snider wrote.

De Jong, who served as the Abbotsford West MLA under BC United (formerly the Liberals) for 30 years, announced in April 2024 that he would seek the federal Conservative nomination for Abbotsford-South Langley.

At the time, he said Conservative Party Leader Pierre Poilievre is the only leader 鈥渨ho has the courage to discuss Canada鈥檚 need for fiscal responsibility.鈥�

But after almost a year of campaigning, de Jong was told on March 5 that the national headquarters had rejected his application to seek the nomination, despite having unanimous approval at the local level.

He has said he was given no reason for the rejection, and he lost an appeal of the decision.

Meanwhile, another Conservative candidate, Sukhman Gill, was rejected at the local level, but was accepted by the national office.

Gill, who works for his family鈥檚 blueberry farm, won the nomination vote for the riding on March 8 against four other candidates.

De Jong announced on March 26 that he would run as an independent, and has since been endorsed by outgoing Conservative MP Ed Fast, former mayor Henry Braun, and other current and former politicians.

Gill has been criticized by de Jong and others 鈥� including through a public petition 鈥� for declining media interviews, not attending candidate debates and removing his social media accounts.

He has informed the Abbotsford Chamber of Commerce that he will not be attending an all-candidates forum Wednesday night (April 23), which runs from 6 to 7:30 p.m. at the Legacy Sports Centre.

Polls in B.C. are open from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. on Monday, April 28.