US midterm candidates court Indian Americans with dosas, temple visits

From dishing out mouthwatering dosas at restaurants to making temple visits, candidates in the US midterm elections are pulling out all the stops to woo Indian-American voters, who can tilt the scales of power in keenly fought races.

Democratic candidate James Talarico tried his hand at flipping dosas at an Indian restaurant in Irving in suburban Dallas, which is home to a large number of Indian-Americans.
Dressed up in a black suit and a white shirt, Talarico scooped up dosa batter in a bowl, spread it evenly on a hot pan, and topped it up with a spicy potato mix.
The Democratic nominee folded the crispy dosa and served it on a banana leaf on a plate amid applause from the gathering.

The gesture was received warmly by the Indian-American community in Texas, which often is the target of racist attacks from a section of Republicans.
Talarico is posing a tough challenge to Republican nominee Ken Paxton in the US Senate race in the deep red state.
“James Talarico is seizing the moment. The contrast couldn’t be clearer. Paxton surrounds himself with influencers calling Indians scammers and saying Indian food stinks, intimidating Indian Texans. Talarico wears a suit and makes dosas,” James Blunt, who describes himself as a businessman, said in a post on X.

“One party serves up division. The other is serving Indian rice crepes, which, by the way, taste freaking amazing,” Blunt said.
Indian temples have emerged as a favourite with candidates, particularly in states with a sizable Indian-American population.
Governor Ned Lamont of Connecticut, who is seeking another term in office, joined the Diwali celebrations organised at the State Capitol along with his Deputy Secretary of State Jennifer Barahona.

Congressman Greg Landsman from Ohio joined the 11th Patotsav of the BAPS Swaminarayan Temple in Sharonville to celebrate the anniversary of the temple’s consecration.
US Senator Cory Booker of New Jersey joined the Diwali celebrations at the Akshardham temple, while Congressmen Randy Fine and Scott Perry were at a temple in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, as part of the outreach efforts to the community.

Congressman John James was at a Swaminarayan temple in Michigan to learn about the traditions at the place of worship and have a close look at the spirit of service that shapes the Hindu American community.
The Indian-American community has a strong presence in states such as California, Texas, New Jersey, New York, Washington, Illinois, Pennsylvania, and Georgia.
In battleground states such as Georgia, Pennsylvania, Michigan, and North Carolina, even one or two per cent of the vote matters to swing an election in favour of a particular candidate. - PTI