India high on US presidential hopefuls' radar

Friday, 02 November , 2007, 13:10

Washington: With India's international profile soaring, most candidates for the 2008 US presidential election on either side of the political divide are making a concerted bid to woo Indian American voters and their top donors.

Almost all the candidates serving in US Congress voted for a landmark law to begin civilian nuclear cooperation with India as well as a range of other economic deals and unlike 2004, outsourcing to India is yet to emerge as a major election issue.

Leading Democratic hopeful Hillary Clinton, who enjoys great support in the nearly two million strong Indian American community, has said: "In Asia, India has a special significance both as an emerging power and as the world's most populous democracy."

As co-chair of the Senate India Caucus, the former first lady said she "recognised the tremendous opportunity presented by India's rise and the need to give the country an augmented voice in regional and international institutions, such as the UN."

Indian Americans for Hillary 2008, founded by prominent hotelier Sant Singh Chatwal, is reported to be planning to raise at least $5 million for her campaign.

Last June, rival contender Barack Obama's campaign sparked controversy by circulating a memo accusing Clinton of pandering to the Indian American community. It referred to Clinton as "Clinton (D-Punjab)" - journalistic shorthand for Democratic senator from Punjab. It also accused Clinton of getting "tens of thousands" from companies that outsource jobs to India.

http://sify.com/news/fullstory.php?id=14554741