Washington: US Vice President Kamala Harris is currently the centre of attention for all who are closely observing the developments in Washington ahead of the high-stakes November presidential elections. Harris has become the presumptive Democratic nominee and is on course to become the first woman of Indian and African heritage to become the official candidate for a major political party.
Harris entered the crucial presidential race after President Joe Biden pulled out as Democrats appeared to be bitterly divided and on the brink of being swept by a Trump wave following his poor debate performance against Republican rival Donald Trump on June 27. The Vice President has been endorsed by almost all the party leaders and has raised a record $100 million from thousands of people nationwide.
However, there has also been a concern of any shift towards US policy towards India. India's relationship with the US has strengthened under PM Modi, with New Delhi seeing Washington as a partner to deter a growingly assertive China. The US also sees India as a key partner in the Indo-Pacific beneficial in standing up to China. The two countries are also working on the highly ambitious Initiative on Critical and Emerging Technologies (iCET).
What did USISPF CEO say on Kamala Harris?
Weighing in on the matter, Mukesh Aghi, president and CEO of US India Strategic and Partnership Forum (USISPF), said Harris becoming the presidential nominee of the Democratic Party has energised the base after a period of turmoil when Biden's health and age concerns led to calls for him within the party to quit the election race. He said big-time donors have resumed supporting the party with Harris as the candidate.
“What we see is a momentum which is building in favour of Kamala Harris and the Democratic Party. She will definitely attract women to vote on the issues of abortion. She will attract the African American vote. Depending on what kind of vice president candidate she gets, she will also attract the independent white male voters of America. Today we see an accelerated momentum. We still have 100 days left in the election,” he told news agency PTI.
What about India-US relations?
Aghi further asserted that there is unlikely to be any shift in India-US policy and strategy under a Harris administration. "I see no impact. Because it is not a political party initiative which India comes into play. It is a geopolitical initiative in which India plays a pivotal role. The rise of China, and the aggressive posture of China threatens the world itself. It threatens America's interest. And India basically plays a pivotal role trying to balance that," he said.
“The other aspect is for the US companies to de-risk supply chains from China. This becomes very critical that India plays a pivotal role. What's most interesting is the budget and the US relationship has an impact because, for example, critical minerals have been put a priority by the government of India. The US is trying to basically de-risk its dependence on critical minerals from China itself,” he said.
The USISPF chief further expressed hope of an "accelerated partnership" between the US and India under Kamala Harris. While noting criticism of Harris in some areas, he called her an "intelligent woman" and said she will have a good team to guide her policies for a balanced approach towards India. "You have to understand there is an emotional attachment to India because she kind of spent summers both in Chennai and Chandigarh itself," he added.
Kamala Harris' chances in elections
Harris, whose campaign says she has secured the Democratic nomination, led Trump 44 per cent to 42 per cent in a new Reuters/Ipsos national poll, a difference within the 3-percentage-point margin of error. Harris and Trump were tied at 44 per cent in a July 15-16 poll, and Trump led by one percentage point in a July 1-2 poll, both within the same margin of error.
As per the poll, some 56 per cent of registered voters agreed with a statement that Harris, 59, was "mentally sharp and able to deal with challenges," compared to 49 per cent who said the same of Trump, 78. A mere 22 per cent of voters thought the same for Biden, 81, who was under pressure to exit after his disastrous debate performance on June 27.
In a conference call with reporters on Tuesday, Trump expressed confidence in his ability to defeat Harris, noting that her previous presidential run in 2020 did not even survive until the first statewide nominating contest. The former President also offered to debate Harris multiple times. Trump and Biden had one more debate scheduled on September 10 after their encounter on June 27.
(with inputs from agencies)
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