Informed sources confirmed that Canadian MP Chandra Arya has been excluded from the Liberal Party leadership race due to a controversial visit he made to India recently, in a move considered a violation of party directives and a breach of diplomatic norms, according to media reports.

Arya, who represents the "Nepean" riding in Ottawa, had expressed his desire to run for the leadership of the party to succeed the current Prime Minister. However, his visit to India and meetings with officials and prominent figures there raised questions within the Liberal leadership, especially amid the tension between Ottawa and New Delhi since last year.

According to sources within the party, Arya did not obtain official approval from the Foreign Ministry or the Prime Minister's Office prior to making the visit, nor was it coordinated within the formal framework that Canadian MPs are required to follow when traveling on foreign missions impacting bilateral relations.

The decision to exclude him has not been officially announced yet, but sources confirmed that the party's nomination committee informed Arya that he is no longer eligible to run for the leadership race, which was seen as an early blow to his campaign that promoted a more open approach to international communities and direct engagement with partners in Asia.

So far, Arya has not issued an official comment, while informed sources expect that he will challenge the decision internally, considering that his trip "was of a personal and cultural nature," rather than political.

These developments come at a time when the Liberal Party is undergoing a sensitive transformation in its leadership, amid rising pressures from within the organizational base to choose a leader capable of facing political and economic challenges and retaining power in the upcoming federal elections.