(Image source from: REUTERS)
A few days after the US Department of Government Efficiency, headed by billionaire Elon Musk, decided to eliminate a $21 million grant designed to enhance voter participation in India, President Donald Trump voiced support for the action while questioning the rationale behind utilizing American taxpayer funds for such a purpose. At his Mar-a-Lago estate in Florida, Trump stated, “Why are we allocating $21 million to India? They have plenty of resources. They’re among the highest taxing nations with regards to us; their import tariffs are extremely high, making it nearly impossible for us to engage there. I respect India and their Prime Minister, but investing $21 million to boost voter turnout? In India? What about voter turnout in our own country?”
On February 16, DOGE released a list of taxpayer-supported projects that were eliminated, which included the $21 million for voter turnout in India. This information was shared in a post on X, where DOGE identified several foreign aid programs as being unnecessary or excessive. “US taxpayer dollars were set to fund the following items, all of which have now been revoked,” DOGE announced. In addition to the funds aimed at increasing voter participation in India, the list also included a $29 million grant aimed at “enhancing the political framework in Bangladesh” and $39 million for initiatives related to “fiscal federalism” and “biodiversity conservation” in Nepal, among various other international funding.
The ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) characterized the canceled funding as “external interference” in India's electoral matters. BJP national spokesperson Amit Malviya remarked, “$21 million for voter turnout? This certainly constitutes external interference in India’s electoral process. Who benefits from this? Not the ruling party, that’s for sure!” He further connected the initiative to what he described as a “systematic infiltration” of Indian institutions by foreign parties. Malviya specifically pointed to billionaire investor George Soros, who has faced accusations from right-leaning political figures globally over exerting influence on domestic politics through his Open Society Foundations.
"Mr. Malviya asserted that once again, George Soros, a well-known figure associated with the Congress party and the Gandhi family, casts a shadow over our electoral process. The BJP has consistently expressed concerns about NGOs and civil society groups in India that receive foreign funding. Additionally, Mr. Malviya highlighted a contentious Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) from 2012, which was established between the Election Commission of India and the International Foundation for Electoral Systems (IFES), an entity connected to Soros's Open Society Foundation. He contended that this MoU, enacted under the previous Congress-led United Progressive Alliance (UPA) administration, facilitated inappropriate foreign influence on India's election framework.
"It is ironic that those who challenge the transparency and inclusivity of the process for selecting India’s Election Commissioner—a groundbreaking reform in our democracy, where earlier the Prime Minister was the sole decision-maker—didn't hesitate to entrust the entire Election Commission of India to outside operators," Mr. Malviya stated. Furthermore, he accused the Congress party of systematically permitting external influence in the governance of India. "The UPA government, led by Congress, methodically allowed forces that are detrimental to the nation's interests to infiltrate Indian institutions—those who aim to undermine India at every chance," he asserted."
