Ahead of the 2024 US Presidential Election, the national politics has taken a dramatic turn! Since the 20-year-old Thomas Matthew Crooks, armed with an AR-style rifle, opened fire at Donald John Trump while the former President was addressing a crowd in Pennsylvania on July 13 (2024), President Joseph Robinette Biden Jr has been under tremendous political pressure. Even after confirming that he would run for re-election as President in 2024 in April last year, Biden had to withdraw his candidacy on July 21, 2024 mainly because of the attack on his Republican rival. His recent statements on various issues have also created troubles for him. Meanwhile, Biden endorsed his Vice President Kamala Devi Harris as his successor.

Democrats were sceptical about Biden this time due to his age and poor health condition. However, Biden wanted to contest the upcoming Presidential Election. The scenario ultimately helped Trump to gain mass support as the popularity of Biden decreased gradually in recent times. After the failed assassination bid, the Republicans started enjoying an advantage and became more confident of Trump’s electoral victory. Interestingly, the endorsement of Harris as the successor of Biden has completely changed the equation! A recent survey has revealed that her acceptance across the US is quite satisfactory. Hence, Trump would have to face a tough competition in November!

As the US is a major world power, the Presidential Election has a huge global impact! Different countries are closely monitoring the political developments in the US, and gearing up for making changes in their respective foreign policies in the coming months (based on the outcome of the election). India is no exception, as the 2024 US Presidential Election is quite important for the South Asian nation in terms of geopolitics and diplomacy! The ties between New Delhi and Washington DC have reached a different level in recent times after going through many ups and downs. They had a relationship of mistrust for various reasons, including India’s nuclear policy. In the past, the US used to consider Pakistan as its strategic partner in South Asia, posing a serious threat to national security of India.

Both India and the US changed their respective foreign policies in the 21st Century, taking bilateral relationships to a new height. It has a positive impact not only on diplomacy, but also on trade ties. Apart from opening doors to US products in the Indian market, New Delhi has struck a number of defence deals with Washington DC in the past two decades. The US has gradually become one of the important trade partners of India. The two countries have also become most valuable strategic partner of one another in various other fields, like technology, investment and regional security.

There has been a noticeable change in Global Geopolitics in the last eight years. During his Presidency (2017-21), Trump went against the four-decade-old policy of rapprochement with China. President Biden, too, follows the footsteps of his predecessor. The changing equation between the US and China has played quite an important role in strengthening ties between India and the US.

Notably, any bilateral relationship is driven by national interests. Therefore, the outcome of the upcoming US Presidential Election is somewhat irrelevant for India. It is expected that neither Harris nor Trump will create diplomatic problems for New Delhi after becoming President. Still, India is a bit worried about how much the wind of change in the US will influence ties between the two countries in the coming years.

Meanwhile, Sir Ahmed Salman Rushdie, the Indian-born British-American novelist, has backed Harris for the 2024 US Presidential Election. Speaking at a roundtable discussion of South Asians in support of Harris on July 29, the Booker Prize-winning author said that it would be great to see a “Black and Indian” woman running for the White House. He called former President Trump a “hollow man without a single noble quality“, stressing: “It’s a critical moment… I am a boy from Bombay (now Mumbai, the western Indian city), and it’s great to see an Indian woman running for the White House. My wife is African-American. So, we like the fact that there is a Black and Indian woman running for the White House.“

According to Rushdie, American society has changed a lot in recent times. He stated: “Something very extraordinary, transformative has happened in American politics. In just under a week, the conversation has entirely changed with the arrival of Kamala Harris’ candidacy… It has happened in the most joyful way.” He added: “We have to make that work, because we can’t allow the alternative to happen… This hollow man without a single noble quality trying to drag this country towards authoritarianism. That cannot happen. Kamala, I believe, is the person who can prevent it… I am right in 1000% in for her.“

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Published by Koushik Das

Koushik Das (born on May 16, 1976 in Kolkata) is a career journalist. Based in the Indian capital of New Delhi, Koushik writes mainly about foreign policies and current geopolitical issues, and rarely about other topics. His own political ideas are highly influenced by Antonio Gramsci, Louis Althusser, Michel Foucault, Michael Oakeshott and others. English philosopher and political theorist Oakeshott (Dec 11, 1901-Dec 19, 1990) says that “in political activity, men sail a boundless and bottomless sea. There is neither harbour for shelter nor floor for anchorage, neither starting-place, nor appointed destination. But we have to keep afloat”. (Rationalism in Politics, 1962) As a student of Political Science, Koushik loves to share his views on issues, which have great impacts on his thought process (and also on India, South Asia and of course on the global community), with his readers through his website – Boundless Ocean of Politics. By doing so, he tries to keep himself afloat. You will find some of his articles in https://inserbia.info/today/ (https://inserbia.info/today/author/kou_das13_i/), as he has been trying to assess the global geopolitics since 2003. You can also mail him at kousdas@gmail.com View all posts by Koushik Das