Ramdas Athawale Finds 'Republican' Connection With US President-Elect Trump: Watch

Union Minister Ramdas Athawale congratulated Donald Trump on his projected re-election as US President, noting similarities between Trump's Republican Party and Athawale's Republican Party of India.

Athawale, In January 2021, had said that Trump had lost the right to be called a Republican after his supporters stormed the Capitol (File Image: PTI)

Source : PTI

As projections showed Donald Trump secured a second term in the White House, Union Minister Ramdas Athawale expressed delight at his election as the 47th US president by drawing similarities between his and the billionaire's Republican party. Athawale said Trump also belongs to a “Republican” party like the one headed by him.

“Indian-Americans played a key role in Trump’s victory,” Athawale, president of the Republican Party of India (RPI), said. 

“Trump is from the Republican Party, and my party's name is also the Republican Party, so I am very happy. He is a very big leader, and was elected with the support of Indian (origin) voters,” he added.

VIDEO | US elections 2024: "Donald Trump is a Republican and my party's name is also Republican (Party of India). So, I am extremely happy. This will strengthen the relationship between India and the US," says Union Minister and Republican Party of India (Athawale) president… pic.twitter.com/wkA1AEq4yD

— Press Trust of India (@PTI_News) November 6, 2024

Athawale, In January 2021, had said that Trump had lost the right to be called a Republican after his supporters stormed the Capitol in a bid to overthrow the November 3, 2020 election result. “What Trump did ahead of the transition of power is detrimental to democracy and so he has lost the right to be called a Republican,” Athawale had said.

The RPI had then said he used to have a lot of respect for Trump but it dissipated after the latter insulted the public mandate following the 2020 US presidential election. 

Former US President Donald Trump secured a majority in the race for the White House in one of the greatest political comebacks in American history by defeating his Democratic rival Kamala Harris. "This will be the golden age of America... America has given us an unprecedented mandate" Trump said in a victory speech, in West Palm Beach in Florida.

The Republican leader told Americans that his victory would "help this country heal". According to projections, Trump received 270 electoral college votes blocking Harris' chance to win the polls. Trump is also on track to become the first Republican presidential candidate to win the popular vote since George W. Bush two decades ago.