Washington: Two newly elected Indian-American lawmakers have secured hard-fought victories in US Congressional races and are preparing to enter the House of Representatives, a development Congresswoman Grace Meng says reflects the community’s growing place in American political life.
In an exclusive interview with IANS, the New York Democrat welcomed the election of Pia Dandiya and Dr Amish Shah, saying their victories came after difficult contests in which Republicans had invested heavily.
Meng said she had been in contact with both candidates throughout their campaigns and had met them in Washington as they attended orientation for incoming members of Congress.
“There was a lot of money put against them,” she said, referring to Republican campaign efforts.
“Not only did they win historic races,” she said, adding that “they flipped seats from the Republican Party to the Democrats.”
Her comments underlined the significance she attached to the candidates’ success beyond their individual victories. Both will arrive on Capitol Hill as members of a new Congress in which Democrats expect to hold the majority.
Meng said the candidates had faced difficult races, rather than straightforward contests, and highlighted both their personal accomplishments and the challenges of securing a place in Congress.
Describing their credentials, she said “they are accomplished people in their own right” and noted that they were now entering Congress.
The Congresswoman said she had followed their campaigns closely and remained in contact with them as they moved towards taking office.
“I saw them again this morning,” she said, recalling her meeting with the incoming lawmakers in Washington.
She compared the orientation process to the start of a new school, as newly elected representatives learn their way around Congress and prepare for the responsibilities ahead.
Meng said the newcomers were settling in well.
The victories, she suggested, were part of a broader change in the visibility and participation of Indian Americans in the United States.
“But it just shows that the Indian American community is becoming more and more a part of the fabric of our American society,” she said.
Meng said elected representatives from the community would work on a broad range of national issues, rather than issues affecting Indian Americans alone.
Her remarks placed the two newcomers in a wider picture of political participation, from campaigns and legislative work to representation at the highest levels of government.
She pointed to the political prominence of former Vice President Kamala Harris, whose mother was from India, as an example of Indian-American participation in senior public office. “Indian Americans have made great strides,” she said.
Asked what Democratic control of Congress could mean for the community, Meng expressed hope that lawmakers would find common ground and help Indian Americans feel included.
The Congresswoman did not outline an agenda for either new representative. Instead, she emphasised that both had earned their places through demanding contests and would now join colleagues working on legislation across a range of subjects.
The two incoming representatives won different kinds of contests on November 3. Shah, a physician and former Arizona state legislator, defeated Republican Jay Feely in Arizona’s 1st Congressional District, a seat previously held by Republican David Schweikert, who did not seek re-election.
Dandiya, a former school principal, defeated Republican Casey Askar in Florida’s 22nd Congressional District.
IANS
