NDP Leader Jack Layton and wife Olivia Chow, who won her Toronto riding, too, celebrate Monday night. (Aaron Harris/CP)
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Ed Broadbent's record is safe for now.
However, Jack Layton took a big step toward returning the NDP to the stature enjoyed during the 1980s when the New Democrats controlled 43 seats under Mr. Broadbent's leadership.
The NDP won 29 ridings. The Conservatives took 124 seats, the Liberals 103, and the Bloc 51.
"Our Canada puts ordinary Canadians first, and tonight ordinary Canadians in their millions put the trust in the NDP," he told supporters in Toronto.
Mr. Layton envisioned overtaking the Bloc and spoke very ambitiously of challenging the Liberals. In fact, he asked Canadian voters to "lend" him enough votes to hold Stephen Harper's Conservative Party to account.
And though Mr. Layton may have fallen short of his lofty goals, he may well end up holding considerable power in a minority Harper government.
NDP gained four seats in Ontario at the expense of the Liberals. The husband-and-wife team of Mr. Layton and Olivia Chow are headed to Ottawa representing the ridings of Toronto-Danforth and Trinity-Spadina respectively. Peggy Nash defeated Liberal incumbent Sarmite Bulte in Parkdale-High Park. Chris Charlton took the Hamilton Mountain seat held by the Liberals.
Ms. Chow greeted her supports with a rousing victory speech.
"Some people across Canada have been watching this riding with extra interest, because I'm the spouse of our leader, Jack Layton. But this election today was not about us. This election was about you, the people who live here. About all the people in Trinity-Spadina," said Ms. Chow.
Manitoba's NDP stalwarts Bill Blaikie and Pat Martin led the NDP fortunes in that province winning re-election.
In the Atlantic provinces, the NDP held on to the three seats won in 2004. Former party leader Alexa McDonough handily won her Halifax riding, which she has represented since 1997.
Incumbents Peter Stoffer and Yvon Godin were returned in Sackville-Eastern Shores and Acadie-Bathurst respectively.
Aside from the NDP's re-elected trio of MPs, the party fell short of making major inroads in most Atlantic ridings.
Hope of a major upset in Central Nova faded late as Conservative deputy leader Peter MacKay pulled away from upstart NDP candidate Alexis McDonald after the two were initially locked in a neck-in-neck race with when the early returns began to trickle in. Mr. MacKay pulled away for a comfortable victory with about 40.6 per cent of the vote, compared to 30.8 per cent for Ms. McDonald.
In Dartmouth Cole-Harbour, NDP's Peter Mancini had a strong showing against incumbent Liberal Michael Savage.
