Several Indian-Americans, who had campaigned intensively and raised millions of dollars for Hillary Clinton, are disappointed at the "shock defeat" of the Democratic candidate who was highly popular among the community members.
"This is a stunning result. We never expected this. I thought we would hold Pennsylvania and North Carolina," Shekar Narasimhan, one of the major fundraisers for the Clinton Campaign who had campaigned intensively in various Swing States in addition to his home state Virginia, said yesterday.
A few days before the general election, he and his team of volunteers were doing door-to-door campaigning in Pennsylvania and North Carolina.
"Let us pray that (US President-elect) Donald Trump has the wisdom to lead. We are not going anywhere and will continue to organise and fight for our rights and for the under-privileged," Narasimhan said.
"Like millions of Americans, I am disappointed at the results," said Ajay Jain Bhutoria, a major fund raiser for the Clinton Campaign.
Based in Silicon Vally, he had flown to New York this week in anticipation of victory of his presidential candidate.
"As a strong Clinton supporter, this is not the outcome we wanted or we worked so hard for, and I am at shock we did not win this election for the values we share and the vision we hold for our country," said Bhutoria.
"The election results are unbelievable and unsettling for many," said Rajwant Singh, who had been campaigning in Pennsylvania and other battleground States for the election.
"There is a great deal of concern among minorities and especially among people of colour. Trump's rhetoric throughout the campaign has made many racial and religious minorities very nervous and this election outcome has shocked them further," said Singh, adding that the Clinton campaign certainly missed measuring the success of Trump among the rural White folks and in the 'Rust Belt' states.
There are people who are frustrated with the slow recovery of the economy after the meltdown in 2007, he said.
"The Clinton campaign failed to assuage their feelings of insecurity but overall, the Clinton campaign had an inclusive agenda which was supported by communities from every corner of the country," Singh said.
Before the elections, polls had predicted that more than 70 per cent of the Indian-Americans preferred Clinton over Trump. But on the polling day, sentiments prevailing on the ground even in string Democratic strongholds like Virginia, Maryland and New Jersey indicated that the Trump Campaign had managed to make a dent into their Indian-American vote bank.
"People have spoken. We have been hearing and feeling them. What a victory!!," Dr Pawan Rattan from Florida, a lifelong Democrat who voted for Trump, said.
Disclaimer: No Business Standard Journalist was involved in creation of this content
