NEW DELHI:Union minister Ramdas Athawale on Wednesday suggested that Donald Trump‘s win was like a personal victory, as both of them hail from the “Republican Party.” The minister also pointed out that Indian Americans played a key role in backing Trump and voting him in as the president-elect.
“Donald Trump is from the Republican Party, and my party’s name is also the Republican Party, so I am very happy. Donald Trump is a very big leader, and he has been elected there with the vote of all the Indian people,” he said.

This is not the first time the Union minister has used the “Republican Party” analogy. He had condemned Donald Trump after his supporters stormed the Capitol in an attempt to overturn the November 3 election result in 2020. “What Trump did ahead of the transition of power is detrimental to democracy, and so he has lost the right to be called a Republican,” the leader of the Republican Party of India had said in a statement.
However, after four years, as Trump stares at a return to the White House, the Union minister said that while it would not have been bad to see Indian-origin Kamala Harris in the White House, Trump’s entry is also not bad. He added that Trump had voiced his support for Bangladeshi Hindus suffering in Bangladesh. He also highlighted Prime Minister Modi’s good cammaredarie with Donald Trump, saying it would usher in a new era of relations between the two countries.
Earlier in the day, as Donald Trump delivered his speech after closing in on a victory, PM Modi was among the first world leaders to congratulate his “friend” on his “historic victory.” PM Narendra Modi expressed his eagerness to renew their collaboration in order to further strengthen the India-US partnership. PM Modi also urged Donald Trump to work together to promote “global peace, stability, and prosperity” amid the ongoing conflicts in the Middle East and the Russia-Ukraine war.
“Heartiest congratulations my friend @realDonaldTrump on your historic election victory. As you build on the successes of your previous term, I look forward to renewing our collaboration to further strengthen the India-US Comprehensive Global and Strategic Partnership. Together, let’s work for the betterment of our people and to promote global peace, stability and prosperity,” PM Narendra Modi posted on X.