NEW DELHI: As the race for the 47th US presidential elections reaches its conclusion, an unexpected wave of emotion has swept across the small village of Thulasendrapuram in Tamil Nadu, India.
Known for being the ancestral home of vice president Kamala Harris, the village had been abuzz with anticipation, eagerly awaiting what many had hoped would be a historic victory for the Democrat candidate. However, as projections indicate that Donald Trump is set to reclaim the White House, a sense of disappointment lingers among the villagers, many of whom had planned to celebrate Harris’ potential victory with a display of crackers and a special prayer at the local temple.
Joy, a supporter of Kamala Harris who had traveled from Chicago to stay in Thulasendrapuram, had expressed g optimism about a Harris’ win. “If Donald Trump wins, I hope he is given the wisdom to lead us with unity. My hope is that he changes his ways and becomes the one who unites and not a divider. My expectations are different though. I think our country will be in chaos for the next four years,” Joy from Chicago said.
Her words reflect the sentiments of many in the village who had hoped to join in the celebration of a historic moment for both Kamala Harris and the Democratic Party. “It’s a little disappointing for us,” a local resident shared as the election results poured in. “When Kamala won as vice president, we celebrated. This time, we had planned an even bigger celebration. But we have to accept the mandate and move on.”
Speaking to his supporters in West Palm Beach, Florida, Trump addressed the nation with optimism, vowing that his return to the White House would help “heal” the country.
“This is a movement like nobody has seen before. This was the greatest political movement of all time. There’s nothing like this ever in this country, we are gonna help our country heal. We have a country that needs help and needs help very badly. We are gonna fix our borders, we are gonna fix everything about our country,” Trump said.
While Trump’s victory appears imminent, Democrats have not yet conceded. Cedric Richmond, co-chair of the Democratic campaign, reassured supporters that the final votes were still being counted, and several key states had yet to be called. “We still have votes to count,” he said. “We still have states that have not been called yet.”
Meanwhile, in a distant corner of India In the Godavari district of Andhra Pradesh, special prayers were held for the success of vice presidential candidate JD Vance. The prayers were offered by residents of Vadluru village, which is Usha Vance’s hometown. Usha, the wife of JD Vance, hails from this region, and her family members gathered in solidarity with her husband’s campaign.