‘Harris as first Desi Prez will boost U.S.-India ties’

Illinois: Indian-American Congressman Raja Krishnamoorthi expressed optimism about US Presidential democratic candidate and Vice President Kamala Harris’ chances in the upcoming election, predicting an extremely close contest where Harris will ultimately prevail.
On the relationship between India and the US after the outcome of the presidential elections, Krishnamoorthi noted that Harris, as the first “Desi’ President,” would further bolster these bonds, owing to her connections to India through her mother.
While exclusively speaking with ANI, Krishnamoorthi said, “It’s going to be an extremely close election. I think that she’s going to ultimately prevail. But as you know, we’re going to be looking at six or seven states very closely on election night. Some of those results may not roll in entirely on election night. We’re also going to have to be patient as votes get counted. The last time in 2020, it took a week or so for more clarity about each state. We just have to counsel patience… Concerning the election, there’s an old saying in Washington, DC if you don’t have a seat at the table, you’re on the menu. The best way to pull up your proverbial seat to the table is to make sure you vote. Please vote if you’re eligible to vote.”
If Donald Trump returns, his presidency is likely to be characterised by transactional foreign policy where public differences over trade and market access will have to balance strategic imperatives. Kamala Harris, on the other hand, like President Joseph Biden, is more likely to focus on strategic convergences, seeing India as the ideal counterweight to China, and not allowing differences to become divergences. But many including the Congressman expect both candidates supporting a robust India-US relationship.
“About India, regardless of who is elected as the president, the relationship with India is growing stronger. It’s covering more subjects, it’s growing deeper. It’s going to go to higher heights over time. Kamala Harris, as the first ‘Desi’ President of the United States, would help to strengthen those bonds. She’s visited India so many times as a child and a young adult, given that her mom came from India and instilled those values,” Krishnamoorthi added.
A meme circulating on messaging apps and other social media has been hard to miss. The meme goes that in Sanskrit, Kamala means “lotus,” but in America, Kamala means POTUS — President of the United States. The ticket’s been supercharged for the Desi community,
Indian Americans now make up the second-largest immigrant population in the United States. These immigrants are no longer primarily landing in traditional South Asian strongholds, like California and New York, but are also reshaping states like Texas and Georgia.
Even though Harris could become the first ever Indian American president of the US, a survey by the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace has found that she is likely to secure fewer votes from the community than incumbent President Joe Biden did in 2020.
An estimated 61 per cent of respondents from the community will vote for Harris, the survey found, down by nearly 4 per cent as compared to the last presidential election in 2020. There has been a decline in the community’s attachment to Harris’s party as well, with 47 per cent of respondents identifying as Democrats, down from 56 per cent in 2020. Meanwhile, the researchers noted “a modest shift in the community’s preferences”, with a slight uptick in willingness to vote for the Republican nominee, former President Donald Trump.
Krishnamoorthi further asserted that Indian American voters will play a significant role in the upcoming presidential elections, and emphasised there is bound to be a ‘diversity in opinions’ but the community at large believe in a few things that unify them as a community.
He said, “I still think that Indian Americans believe in a few things that unify us as a community. They should hold their elected officials accountable for fulfilling that kind of unified agenda.”
“We believe in a legal immigration system. We have to look for elected officials who support reforms to the legal immigration system. We believe in public education. Most of us are products of public education, which is the gateway to the American dream. We want our elected officials to support public schools. We also believe in entrepreneurship and small business innovation. We want to make sure that this country remains a place where entrepreneurs and innovators can start their businesses, succeed, and give back to their communities. Those are some of the principles that Indian Americans broadly share. I hope that they hold their elected officials accountable for upholding those principles,” Krishnamoorthi added.