Indian-American Bobby Jindal announced his candidature for the 2016 US presidential elections on Wednesday, making him the 13th Republican aspirant to target the White House in this election cycle.
The 44-year-old Louisiana Governor is scheduled to address a public meeting in New Orleans to formally announce his decision and the reason for running for US President.
Indians in America not Excited
His announcement, however, has failed to generate much enthusiasm among the Indian-Americans because of his statements on the Federalist Radio Hour on Tuesday.
The President has been trying to divide us...by gender, by race, by geography, and by religion. We’re not hyphenated Americans anymore. We’re not African-Americans, Asian-Americans, Indian-Americans or rich and poor Americans.
–Bobby Jindal, Governor, Louisiana
The Democratic National Committee was quick to criticise Jindal.
Wait, which governor is Bobby Jindal? Is he the governor with the nine credit downgrades? Or the one whose state is last in the region for job growth? Or is he the one where his state’s tuition climbed by 48 per cent?
–Holly Shulman, DNC National Press Secretary
One of Many Firsts
He is the first Indian American to have been elected as a Governor of a US State.
A two-term Governor from Louisiana, Jindal is the vice chairman of the powerful Republican Governors Association.
Before becoming the Governor of Louisiana, he was elected to the House of Representative twice, thus making him the second ever Indian-American elected as a Congressman.
Ami Bera from California is the third Indian-American to be elected to the Congress.
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