Indian Americans Campaign For Kamala Harris In Key Swing States

A new grassroots campaign titled "Indian Americans for Harris" has been launched to support Democratic presidential nominee Kamala Harris in key battleground states.

The campaign, unveiled on Tuesday, is spearheaded by a group of prominent Indian-Americans who are rallying behind Harris as she vies for the presidency against Republican candidate and former president Donald Trump. At 59, Harris—whose mother immigrated from Chennai and whose father is Jamaican—is aiming to become the first person of Indian heritage to lead the United States.

Swadesh Chatterjee, a North Carolina-based businessman and recipient of India’s Padma Bhushan award, is a key figure in the campaign. "This is the first time we have someone whose mother is from India. She has got Indian heritage and culture. What she has learned, I felt that we Indian Americans should support her beyond the party line," Chatterjee told PTI.

The campaign’s primary focus is on mobilising Indian-American voters in critical swing states including North Carolina, Wisconsin, Michigan, Pennsylvania, Arizona, and Georgia. Chatterjee emphasised the importance of these states in securing Harris’s path to the White House to PTI.

The campaign’s official website highlights Harris’s biracial background as a reflection of America's diverse melting pot. With a significant portion of the US population identifying as biracial, Harris’s heritage resonates deeply with many voters. The Indian-American community, nearing the five million mark in the US, is poised to play a crucial role in this election.

The group also underscored Harris’s accomplishments and values as aligning with the community’s aspirations for a just, equitable, and inclusive America. “As the first woman of Indian descent to serve as Vice President of the United States, Kamala Harris represents a significant milestone in our community’s history. Her leadership and values resonate with our collective aspirations for a more just, equitable, and inclusive America,” the group said.

Harris, who entered the presidential race 100 days before the Nov. 5 election following President Joe Biden’s withdrawal, is now at the center of a high-stakes campaign. The “Indian Americans for Harris” initiative aims to ensure that her unique background and leadership qualities help her secure a historic victory.

(With inputs from PTI)