Indian Americans Playing An Active Role In Lok Sabha Elections 2014
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Quite a few NRIs postponed their annual (December) visits to India to be able to campaign for their favourite parties. NRIs see an opportunity for change by voting for a
The fact that Modi is perceived to be decisive and businesses like makes a distinct impression on the NRIs since a large number is engaged in Corporate America. Kejriwal gains his support from the Diaspora that is sick of the corruption scandals surfacing on a regular basis. The evolution of
Last year, Modi started it with an army of bright youths through his Citizens for Accountable Governance (CAG) initiative. The idea behind this drive was strategic anticipation of the political battle to be fought in the country, as India has a high concentration of young people who like decisiveness and interaction.
It was AAP’s experimental stint with
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Modi has a substantial advantage when it comes to reaching out to the NRI community in the US. The phone programme has more than 18,000 people signed up over time but not everyone has been active. Still, the pro-Modi and the anti-Modi battles seem to be playing out well in the US through Indian Americans.
As the elections progress, the vagaries of India’s attitude – that of winning and taking it in the stride – seem that converting votes into seats will get complex. There are organisations like the Overseas Friends of BJP (OFBJP) and Global Indians for Bharat Vikas (GIBV) who have been busy organising Chai Pe Charcha (NaMo Tea Party) in the US. It feels like this election is like none other and I have read somewhere that a dynamic entrepreneur has started an ‘election tourism’ business, which means they will take you to the key campaign hotspots. I might take them up on their offer.
Shaking hands with the local political candidates, voicing their opinions and joining the campaign trail in different regions of India to know more about a leader seem to have attracted more than 800 foreigners and some 2,000-odd NRIs to Election 2014. And the final outcome of the polls in the middle of May is definitely going to be as intriguing as it can be.
About the author: Sanjay Puri is the chairman of the US India Political Action Committee (USINPAC), a national, bipartisan body representing the political views of the Indian-American community in the US.
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