Harris' VP nominee Walz joins Diwali celebrations at Pennsylvania temple

US Vice Presidential hopeful Tim Walz attended a Diwali celebration at a prominent Hindu temple in Pennsylvania, reaching out to the Indian-Americans in the crucial battleground state as the race for White House heads towards a photo-finish.

In his brief remarks at the event in the Bharatiya temple in Montgomery county on Thursday, the Democratic leader highlighted the "rising" political voice of the Indian-American community in the US and urged them to save energy to "celebrate" Kamala Harris's "victory" in the presidential election next week.

"Happy Diwali everyone. It is a privilege for me to be with you on this special day," he said.

 

"The Indian and the South Asian community are so much a fabric of our state and our identity," the Minnesota governor said, drawing cheers from the audience.

Besides lighting a 'diya', Walz posed for selfies, greeted Indians with a 'Namaste' and exchanged pleasantries.

Pennsylvania is one of the seven battleground states which is expected to play a critical role in the overall election outcome. It is considered a most significant of the swing states in 2024 election with 19 electoral college votes.

With Pennsylvania witnessing a tight race between Republican nominee Donald Trump and Harris, political observers said the position of the Indian-American community would be pivotal for the poll outcome.

"Diversity is the strength of the country (the US) and that is why we continue to want to make it a place where people want to come to. This place needs to remain so," Walz said.

Though he did not elaborate further, the comments are seen as an indirect criticism of Trump's immigration policy.

"On this happiest day of light over darkness, I hope you find peace, find calm and save a little energy to celebrate next Wednesday morning," Walz said, referring to the Election Day.

In his campaign speeches, the former Republican president promised a radical shift to tighten the US's immigration policy and vowed to carry out the "largest" domestic deportation operation in American history of undocumented immigrants if he is reelected.

Walz's presence at the Diwali celebration at the Hindu temple drew widespread appreciation from leading Indian community leaders.

"The visit by Tim Walz is very significant for the Indian American community in Pennsylvania. His visit highlighted the importance of the Indian-American community in this swing state of Pennsylvania," said prominent Indian community leader Mukund Kute.

"We see this as a recognition of our contribution to mainstream America," he told PTI.

Similar sentiment was echoed by Manish Ingle, the CEO of medical devices firm Nova Probe Inc and a leading community leader.

"This is a significant gesture by Walz. In our area, we never had a person of this authority to have graced such an occasion. The Indian American community is very fortunate to receive Tim Walz, who if all goes well, will be the next Vice President of the US," he said  "On Diwali, he lit the 'diya; here. I am very amazed that we got an opportunity in Bharatiya temple to greet someone like Walz," said Ingle, who also serves on boards of several institutions including Pennsylvania Governor Advisory Council for Inclusive Procurement.

After Harris received the Democratic presidential nomination in August, various Indian-American and South Asian American groups have been engaged in mobilising support for her including through raising funds.

The number of Indian Americans residing in the US is around 5.2 million forming the second-largest immigrant community, and out of them around 2.3 million are eligible to vote.

Around 55 per cent of Indian American eligible voters identified as Democrat as against 26 per cent as Republican, according to a 2024 survey conducted by research organisation AAPI before President Joe Biden pulled out from the re-election bid.

A survey this month by the Carnegie Endowment found that 61 per cent of registered Indian American voter respondents plan to vote for Harris while 32 per cent intend to vote for Trump.

It said 67 per cent of Indian American women intend to vote for Harris while 53 per cent of men, a significantly smaller share, say they plan to vote for Harris.

Twenty-two per cent of women intend to vote for Trump while a significantly larger share of men, 39 per cent, plan to cast their ballots for him, it said.

According to a CNN poll, Harris has a narrow edge in battleground states of Michigan and Wisconsin, while she and Trump remain tied in Pennsylvania.