Canadians returned Liberal Prime Minister Justin Trudeau to power on Monday in  a closely contested election against a rookie conservative leader who conceded defeat as the results came in. However, the 49-year-old Trudeau failed again to win the absolute majority he was hoping for.

Trudeau who ruled with a minority in the House of Commons since 2019, decided to go in for an early election, banking on his efficient handling of the pandemic, which included a smooth vaccine campaign and huge state expenditure to support individuals and businesses, to win a majority of seats.

Trudeau had won an overwhelming majority in 2015 elections. However, he lost popularity during his tenure and was forced to form a minority government as he scraped through in the 2019 polls. 

He has not been able to improve his performance as it appears voter anger at an election during a pandemic weighed him down.

Conservative Leader Erin O'Toole, whose party came second, conceded defeat as results trickled in late into the night. Trudeau then addressed supporters, promising to work with other parties for the good of all Canadians.

“Thank you, Canada — for casting your vote, for putting your trust in the Liberal team, for choosing a brighter future. We're going to finish the fight against COVID. And we're going to move Canada forward. For everyone.,” Trudeau tweeted after the victory.

"You are sending us back to work with a clear mandate to get Canada through this pandemic and to the brighter days ahead," Trudeau said to a small crowd gathered in a hotel ballroom.

CBC and CTV projected that Trudeau's Liberal government would hold a minority of seats in the House of Commons, which means he will require the support of another party to form the government.

Elections Canada showed the Liberals leading in 156 electoral districts nationally, one more than they held before the election, including 110 in Ontario and Quebec.

After six years in power, however, his administration is showing signs of fatigue, and it was an uphill battle for him to convince Canadians to stick with his Liberals after falling short of high expectations set in his 2015 landslide win, according to an AFP report.

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