Modi Govt's US Problem: Rise of Progressive Hindus and a New Democratic Party

Ro Khanna spoke out against Hindu nationalism in response to a question on his 2028 bid on X.

(Ro Khanna recently sparked a debate with his criticism of Hindu nationalism)

(Vibhushita Singh/The Quint)

The one-sided results in the US mid-term elections pose a new challenge for the Modi government: how to re-engage with the Democrats who are now resurgent?

A good example of this dilemma is Democrat Representative Ro Khanna's recent post on X criticising Hindu nationalism.

"I have unequivocally condemned Hindu nationalism & applauded the students in the streets speaking out against corruption and for inclusion. My grandfather was part of Gandhi's independence movement and I believe in Gandhi and Nehru's vision of pluralism."

Khanna posted this in response to a post by X user Gaurav Sabnis asking him to clarify his position on Hindu nationalism if he plans to run for President of the US in 2028.

The government of India is yet to respond to what Khanna has said.

Churn Within the Democratic Party

A representative from Silicon Valley, Khanna's popularity has been rising steadily, especially due to his role in compelling the Department of Justice to release the Epstein Files. At present, he is the only one from the party's progressive wing who has openly expressed his inclination to run for President.

Another prominent Indian American leader in the party is Pramila Jayapal, also a progressive. She has also been a critic of the Modi government. In 2019, foreign minister S Jaishankar had reportedly cancelled a meeting in which she was supposed to be present. This sparked criticism from other prominent Democrats like Kamala Harris, Bernie Sanders and Elizabeth Warren.

The ministry of external affairs had also criticised New York Mayor Zohran Mamdani in 2025 for expressing support for UAPA detainee Umar Khalid.

Therefore, the problem for the Modi government is the rising clout of anti-Hindutva leaders like Khanna and Jayapal in the larger context of the rising fortunes of the Democratic Party.

Ro Khanna had reportedly become less critical of the Modi government in the past few years. But his post on X seems to indicate that he may have to take a clear stand as his presidential bid progresses.

In contrast, a number of leaders that the Modi government had relied on in the past have faced defeats at the hands of progressive challengers.

Shri Thanedar lost his primary from Michigan's 13th Congressional District to progressive Donovan Mckinney. Thanedar was opposed by Democratic Socialists of America for his support of Modi as well as his change of stand on Israel.

In fact, Thanedar and Khanna represent opposite cases. Khanna was a centrist who moved to the progressive side and rejected money from the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC). Thanedar changed from being anti-AIPAC in 2022 to an AIPAC-backed candidate in 2026.

Perhaps the biggest loss for the pro-Hindutva lobby was Raja Krishnamoorthi, who lost the Senate primary to progressive Juliana Stratton earlier this year.

Krishnamoorthi is said to have among the clearest documented alwith pro-Hindutva organisations. He participated in the 2018 World Hindu Congress, where RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat was a featured speaker. He spoke at a 2019 Chicago event hosted by Hindu Swayamsevak Sangh (HSS), celebrating the RSS's founding. Then he also participated in the Howdy Modi

He was identified by a 2022 research report as receiving more than $117,000 in donations between 2015 and 2020 from a Hindu American PAC and individuals the report classified as Hindutva-affiliated.

Given this churn within the Democratic Party, the Modi government suddenly finds itself with a lack of friends and facing Indian Americans with a different ideological outlook.

Of course, there are individuals like Brad Sherman and Ami Bera who are considered close to the establishment.

Lack of Engagement with Democrats

There has also been some reluctance on the part of the Modi government to engage with the Democrats since President Trump came back to power in 2025. PM Modi hasn't had any one-to-one meetings with Democratic Party leaders in this period. Foreign Minister S Jaishankar's engagement with Democratic Party leaders have also been as part of bipartisan delegations.

This reluctance may partly have been due to President Trump's increasingly hostile policy against India through his tariffs and public statements. There was speculation that Trump's hostility was due to PM Modi not meeting him during his US visit in 2024 on the eve of the Presidential election.

This was a sensible decision from PM Modi's side in line with India's position not to get involved in the partisan rivalries in the US.

The Crisis Within the Republican Party

Even within the larger debacle of the Republican Party, the Modi government has faced a few setbacks.

Vivek Ramaswamy, who had openly expressed his admiration for PM Modi in the past, faced a defeat in the Ohio Governor election. Ramaswamy faced a great deal of flak during the campaign for backing an ad featuring the mother of his opponent, Amy Acton. The ad showed Acton's mother calling her a liar. The ad was used despite it being publicly known that Acton was abused by her stepfather as a teenager and her mother chose to back her abuser.

Ramaswamy's fortunes were on the rise within the Republican Party as he was considered one of the brains behind Department of Governmental Efficiency (DOGE).

Then another prominent backer of the Modi government, Tulsi Gabbard, resigned as Director of National Intelligence in the Trump government citing 'personal reasons'.

She had differed with Trump on the war in Iran.

The other problem within the Republican Party is the increasing anti-Indian sentiment in its base. Trump's moves against H1B visa was also seen as attempts to appease his base.

This has also led to an overwhelming consolidation of Indian Americans behind the Democrats. In the mid-terms this was over 60 percent. The increasing racism from the right wing has undone whatever gains the Republicans had made among Indian Americans.

American politics is in uncharted waters. In the next two years, the Modi government will have to balance between a wounded Trump and a resurgent Democratic Party with its competing factions.