An Indian-American political activist stated that Asian-Americans, which includes the Indian community, are now the "cause of victory" in US politics and not merely the "margin of victory," news agency PTI reported on Sunday.
According to Shekhar Narasimhan, an Indian-American entrepreneur, community leader, and political activist, the Asian-American community is typically thought to be "the margin of victory," which means that in a close race, this vote by swinging 10 points one way or the other, can make the difference in an election, as per the report.
"I've completely refuted that. Today I believe we are the cause of victory," Narasimhan told PTI, citing the recent Democratic Party victory of Senator Raphael Warnock in Atlanta.
According to Narasimhan, who heads the AAPI Victory Fund, a Political Action Committee that focuses on mobilising AAPI-eligible voters and supporting Democratic AAPI candidates, in the Warnock Senate race, he finally won the runoff with 34,000 votes from the AAPI (Asian American Pacific Islanders) community that weren't cast during the midterms.
"We (AAPI Victory Fund) played a big hand in getting those votes... A swing of 68,000 votes in the race may have drastically transformed the nature of that contest. It wasn't simply the large black vote and the strong support he received from the Atlanta suburbs. The Asian-American vote was decisive. They both agree. I don't think he could have won without us," Narasimhan added, noting that the group accounts for 4 per cent of Atlanta's voting population, PTI reported.
In reply to a question, Narasimhan stated that if the 2024 election is between President Joe Biden and his predecessor Donald Trump, it will be simpler to persuade Asian Americans.
It would be difficult for Biden to face a new opponent, and even more difficult if his opponent is an Indian-American like Nikki Haley, who announced her candidature for the Republican party nomination for president in 2024 last month, as stated in the report.
Noting that the AAPI Victory Fund would certainly investigate Haley's numerous views if she were to be the GOP nominee, Narasimhan stated that "good chances" exist that they will end up supporting and backing Biden in the 2024 election. "She is a very conservative conservative Republican," he explained.
Narasimhan has long been a supporter and fundraiser for the Democratic Party.
"I'm very pleased that people who have names like Nikki, Jindal, and Ramaswamy can run. It means someone will have to learn how to pronounce Narasimhan as well. So there's a deep sensation in my bones that this is mainstreaming. This is evident, just as there are CEOs of Fortune 500 firms and professors, deans, and presidents of colleges. It's a symbol. It states that progress is being made. We are becoming more mainstream. So, fundamentally, a positive thing," he remarked.
"Where I'm ambivalent is that some of these candidates have chosen, honestly, not to endorse their own background, or if they have, it's been a long time. As an example, I believe Nikki Haley has never visited India. She had only been there once. And the first time she went, she was the US Ambassador," he added.
(With Inputs From PTI)