US Elections 2020: As Biden Leads The Race, Ancestral Village Of Kamala Harris In Festive Mood

Around 350 km away from Chennai, Painganadu, is where Harris’s maternal grandfather was born more than a century ago. A huge poster of Harris has also been put up outside the village temple.

Residents walk past a poster of US Democratic vice-presidential candidate, Kamala Harris, at her ancestral village. (Image: AFP)

New Delhi: Residents of Painganadu the Indian ancestral village of Kamala Harris, the Democratic Vice-President nominee of the US Presidential Elections, on Thursday, painted the roads of the village praising Harris and praying for her victory. Around 350 km away from Chennai, Painganadu, is where Harris’s maternal grandfather was born more than a century ago. A huge poster of Harris has also been put up outside the village temple. “From yesterday, we are excited about the final result,” said Abirami, a resident of the village. “Now, we are hearing positive news. We are waiting to celebrate her victory.” With  Joe Biden swiftly moving towards the magical number, many of her neighbors are constantly monitoring the polls and anticipating a victory for the daughter of the village. Painganadu which lies in the southern part of India, the lush, green village is also witnessing constant prayers for the victory of Harris. As Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden is leading the count and has predicted that he will win but closely contested states - including Arizona, Georgia, Nevada, and North Carolina - were still tallying votes, leaving the election outcome uncertain. Kamala Harris’s grandfather P.V. Gopalan and his family moved to Chennai nearly 90 years ago. The former Indian Diplomat even served as Director of Relief Measures and Refugees in the Government of Zambia, especially the exodus of Refugees from Southern Rhodesia (now Zimbabwe). While in Zambia, he later served as Advisor to the President of Zambia. He served as Joint Secretary to the Government of India in the 1960s. Harris, who was born to an Indian mother and a Jamaican father who both immigrated to the United States to study, visited Thiruvauar when she was five and has repeatedly recalled walks with her grandfather on the beaches of Chennai.