Naresh Bhardwaj

Naresh Bhardwaj (born 1959) is a Canadian politician, who was elected in the 2008 provincial election to represent the electoral district of Edmonton-Ellerslie in the Legislative Assembly of Alberta. He was a member of the Progressive Conservatives. He was Associate Minister of Persons with Disabilities in the cabinet of Jim Prentice.

Political career Bhardwaj ran in the 2012 Alberta general election as an incumbent PC candidate, winning a second term on April 23, 2012.

He was made Associate Minister of Persons with disabilities in 2013. He did not run in the 2015 general election.

He was the United Conservative Party (UCP) candidate in the 2025 Edmonton-Ellerslie provincial by-election.

Controversy

In March 2015, Bhardwaj was accused of offering a $10,000 bribe to prevent other candidates from challenging him in an election, however he was later cleared of any wrongdoing by an internal PC Party investigation, and the Edmonton Police Service closed their investigation without laying any charges.

At the time of the allegations, Rachel Notley, leader of the Alberta New Democratic Party, requested that Bhardwaj step down and submit to an investigation. In March 2015, Bhardwaj withdrew his name as a candidate for the 2015 general election, however he maintained his innocence in the matter in public statements.

Electoral history