USAID’s $21 Million Grant for Voter Turnout Sparks Bitter Spat Between BJP and Congress

GG News Bureau
New Delhi, 17th Feb. A fresh controversy erupted on Monday morning as reports surfaced that the United States, through its global aid body USAID, allocated $21 million in 2012 for “voter turnout in India,” part of a broader $486 million fund aimed at supporting “elections and political processes.” The revelation has ignited a sharp exchange of jabs between the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the Congress.

The issue began after Congress leader Pawan Khera hit back at BJP’s Amit Malviya, who had accused the opposition party of facilitating external interference in India’s electoral process by accepting foreign aid for election-related purposes. Malviya’s criticism came after a post on X (formerly Twitter) by the US Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), highlighting that taxpayer money was allegedly being used for questionable overseas political activities, including the $21 million grant for India.

In his response, Khera pointed out that it was the Congress-led United Progressive Alliance (UPA) that was in power in 2012, when the grant was supposedly made. He accused the BJP of misdirecting the blame by linking the opposition to “external interference” in India’s electoral process, noting, “In 2012, when the Election Commission got this funding from USAID, the ruling party was the Congress. By his logic, the ruling party was sabotaging its own electoral prospects.”

The Congress leader further mocked the BJP, suggesting that the party’s victory in the 2014 general elections could be attributed to “Soros/USAID,” given the involvement of foreign funds in the election process. This rhetoric has become a common refrain among the BJP, especially when the issue of external interference is raised. The BJP has frequently accused billionaire investor George Soros of backing anti-India narratives, which the party claims are propagated by media organizations associated with him.

The BJP swiftly seized upon the DOGE report, which also mentioned millions of dollars being allocated for programs like biodiversity conservation in Nepal and medical programs in Mozambique. The BJP saw these claims as further evidence of foreign powers influencing domestic elections, with BJP leaders like Amit Malviya and Nalin Kohli accusing the US agency of attempting to interfere in India’s electoral processes. Kohli questioned, “Why would any US agency wish to give $21 million for election-related work in India? Would that not amount to interference in India’s electoral process?”

Meanwhile, prominent figures from the BJP, including Pradeep Bhandari and Sanjeev Sanyal, also chimed in, calling the USAID’s involvement in Indian elections a “scam.” Sanyal, a member of the Prime Minister’s Economic Advisory Council, dubbed USAID as “the biggest scam in human history.”

The controversy, however, was firmly rebutted by former Election Commissioner S.Y. Quraishi, who led the Election Commission from 2010 to 2012. In a series of posts on X, Quraishi denied any suggestion that USAID funds were used for voter turnout initiatives. He clarified that in 2012, the Election Commission had signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the International Foundation for Electoral Systems (IFES), a collaboration aimed at training electoral staff ahead of elections. Quraishi dismissed claims of any connection between the MoU and “foreign interference,” describing the allegations as “baseless and malicious.”

Quraishi emphasized that the funds were used solely for training resources and ensuring the smooth conduct of elections, not to influence voter behavior or turnout. He strongly rejected the accusations made by BJP leaders, including the assertion that the Election Commission had been compromised by foreign entities.

The escalating row highlights the growing political divide over issues of external influence in India’s democratic processes, with both major political parties accusing each other of exploiting foreign assistance to further their electoral interests.