What Kamala Harris as Biden’s VP Pick Would Mean for Indo-US Ties

Former VP Biden, described Harris as “a fearless fighter” in a tweet announcing her as his running mate.

What would Kamala Harris as Joe Biden’s vice presidential pick mean for Indo-US relations?

(Image: Arnica Kala/ The Quint)

Biden-Harris 2020 is now official. In the early hours of Wednesday, 12 August, Democratic Presidential nominee Joe Biden announced California Senator Kamala Harris as his running mate for the upcoming US Presidential elections on 3 November.

Kamala who? Why does this name ring a bell?

55-year-old Kamala Harris was born in California to an Indian mother, Shyamala Gopalan, a breast cancer scientist and a Jamaican father who taught at Stanford University.

Among the rising stars in the Democratic party, she had announced in January 2019 that she was running for President. After a year-long spirited fight against heavyweights Bernie Sanders and Joe Biden, she dropped out in December.

However, since stepping down, Harris has been a vocal supporter of Biden’s bid for nomination as the Democratic candidate and a prominent advocate of racial-justice legislation after the death of George Floyd in late May.

There is no denying that Harris selection is symbolically loaded for a county torn by racial injustice and the pandemic.

But, what message exactly does her nomination send out? What are the political and electoral implications of picking a woman of colour? Can she take on Trump? And Will she be able to swing the Indian American vote?

To help us better navigate the nuances of Kamala Harris as a potential Vice President of the United States and answer our questions, I’m joined today by international affairs expert Harsh V Pant who heads the strategic studies program at Observer Research Foundation.