US Elections 2020: Native place of Kamala Harris in TN prays for her victory

The residents of Thulasendrapuram, in Tamil Nadu, the native place of Kamala Harris, running mate of US Presidential candidate Joe Biden, wished her good luck for her victory as the US is counting votes.

"She is a big inspiration. The younger generation understands the significance of her win in the world's biggest economy, being vice president of such a big country will be a prideful moment for Indians itself," said a local woman.

On November 3, Harris' ancestral village also offered prayers at a temple wishing success for her in the polls.

Harris was born to a Jamaican father and an Indian mother Shyamala Gopalan, who was born in Chennai before she moved to the US for further study. Shyamala was a leading cancer researcher and activist. Harris's maternal grandfather was born in Thulasenthirapuram, located about 320 km south of the city of Chennai. Shyamala was the daughter of PV Gopalan, a high-ranking civil servant.

California Senator Harris, if elected, would be the first woman vice president ever for the US. Harris is the first Indian-American to be elected district attorney of San Francisco, the first South Asian American to become a US senator and if elected, she will be the first person of Indian descent to hold a major political office in the United States. Fifty-five-year-old Kamala Harris began her career in the 1990s at the Alameda County District Attorney's Office in the city of Oakland and later became the first woman of colour in 2011 to serve as California's attorney general.

Meanwhile, as vote counts, Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden has garnered a lead of 215 electoral votes against President Donald Trump's 171 votes in the US presidential polls, according to current projections by CNN on Tuesday. To win the presidency, either Trump or Biden must acquire over 50 per cent of the electoral college vote, which is 538 in total. Therefore, each candidate must get a minimum of 270 electoral votes to clinch the presidency. Biden is projected to win Washington, Oregon, California, Illinois, New Hampshire and New Mexico.

California has one of the biggest shares in the Electoral College, with 55 votes, while Illinois also has a significant contribution with 20. Biden is also projected to win Colorado, Connecticut, Vermont, Delaware, Washington DC, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Jersey and New York. According to the projections, Trump is expected to win Wyoming, Missouri, Utah and Kansas.

( With inputs from ANI )

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