Experts said that given bipartisan support for closer ties with India to counter an assertive China, the ties of some U.S. presidential candidates would bring little additional benefit to bilateral ties.
Indians are proud of their success, but Democratic Vice President Kamala Harris and Usha Chirukuri Vance, the wife of Republican running mate Donald Trump, have barely visited the birthplace of either or both of their parents.
“Either way, from India’s perspective, whether it’s Republican or Democrat, our relationship has bipartisan support and shouldn’t be affected,” said Harsh Vardhan Shringla, a former Indian ambassador to the United States.
Regarding relations with India, he said “there will only be benefits” and added that “it will not be adversely affected.”
A government official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said ties with India are viewed favorably by both parties in Washington, so it would have little impact on ties whether the party wins or whether the candidate is of Indian descent.
Both President Joe Biden and his predecessor, President Trump, have sought to lure India not only to counter China in the region but also to wean it away from its traditional reliance on Russian weapons.
role model
Both Harris and Usha Vance, wife of Republican vice presidential nominee J.D. Vance, have ties to South India. Vance is a member of a prominent family of academics.
Harris, who garnered enough delegate support to win the Democratic nomination, is seen as a role model in Thulasendrapuram, his mother’s ancestral village.
“She has proven that a young woman who was previously confined to her home can become a public figure in the greatest country in the world and reach such heights,” said J Sudhakar, a resident of Harris’ maternal grandfather’s village.
“How big an accomplishment is that?”
Harris, who visited the village when he was five years old, recalled walking with his grandfather along the beach in Chennai, the city where his family would later live, about 320 kilometers from the village of about 2,000 people.
However, she has not returned since becoming Vice President of the United States.
“Residents were expecting a visit or a statement or at least a mention of their village, but that did not happen,” said G Manikandan, a shopkeeper.
“But if she wins we will invite her and plan a big celebration and reception for her,” he added.
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)
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