WASHINGTON, November 2 2004
IANS
Indian Americans are all set to create history during the US elections
on Nov 2 by sending only the second member from the community to the
US Congress and adding to the number of assemblymen, or legislators,
in various states.
At least 17 Indian Americans are running various races across the country,
including two for the US Congress, four for state assembly seats and
the rest in races for city and town-level positions.
Piyush Bobby Jindal, who is running for the US House of Representatives
from Louisiana's first Congressional District, is widely expected to
romp home comfortably, making him only the second Indian American to
enter the US Congress since Dilip Singh Saund did so in 1957.
Jindal, 33, a Republican who was appointed by President George W. Bush
as assistant secretary for planning and evaluation in the Department
of Health and Human Services, had last year run a tight race for Governor
of Louisiana, the equivalent of a chief minister in India, losing 48-54
percent to Democrat Kathleen Blanco.
A Rhodes scholar, Jindal is a management whiz credited with cleaning
up the mess in the Louisiana state's healthcare and university systems
and is considered a sure winner, despite running for Office in the American
deep south known for its animosity to people of colour.
Jindal was four when he arrived in the US, but converted to Christianity
during his teens.
Among the state races is Maharashtra-born Iowa. Democratic Assemblywoman
Swati Dandekar, is in a re-election race that she is tipped to win,
while Republican Nicky Randhawa Haley, running for South Carolina State
House from District 87, is merely awaiting official confirmation of
her election win.
Both the victories will take the number of Indian Americans in state
assemblies to five. Other members of the community for state legislatures
are Kumar Barve in Maryland, Upendra Chivukula in New Jersey and Senator
Satveer Chaudhary in Minnesota. All of them are Democrats.
The community is closely watching two other state races, that of Sidharta
'Sid' Das, a Democrat who is seeking a seat in the New Hampshire State
House from a largely Republican district of Pelham, and Rano Singh,
a Democrat who is running for the Arizona House of Delegates from District
6.
Other key contests featuring Indian Americans include Republican Jay
Rao's bid to become the secretary of state in North Carolina and Eduardo
Bhatia's (Popular Democratic Party) race for the mayorship of San Juan,
capital of Puerto Rico.
The other Indian American candidates are running for lesser offices
such as city and town councils, school boards and other positions.