New Delhi:

The United States Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), led by Elon Musk, has cancelled a $21 million US taxpayer-funded grant – under former President Joe Biden’s administration – meant to influence “voter turnout in India.” In its announcement, DOGE highlighted that the $21 million was part of a larger $486 million budget allocated to the “Consortium for Elections and Political Process Strengthening.” 

Another $29 million was slated for “strengthening the political landscape in Bangladesh” – a country that witnessed political turmoil amid allegations of US ‘deep state’ involvement in the ouster of former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina. 

The Musk-led department revealed that other taxpayer-funded projects also faced the axe, including:

• $47 million for “improving learning outcomes in Asia”
• $40 million for a “gender equality and women empowerment hub”
• $32 million to the Prague Civil Society Centre
• $22 million to foster an “inclusive and participatory political process” in Moldova. 
• $20 million for “fiscal federalism” in Nepal
• $19 million for “biodiversity conservation” in Nepal
• $14 million for “social cohesion” in Mali
• $14 million for “improving public procurement” in Serbia
• $10 million for “Mozambique voluntary medical male circumcision”
• $9.7 million for UC Berkeley to develop “a cohort of Cambodian youth with enterprise-driven skills”
• $2.5 million for “inclusive democracies in Southern Africa”
• $2.3 million for “strengthening independent voices in Cambodia”
• $2 million to develop “sustainable recycling models” to “increase socio-economic cohesion among marginalised communities of Kosovo Roma, Ashkali, and Egypt”
• $1.5 million for “voter confidence” in Liberia

US taxpayer dollars were going to be spent on the following items, all which have been cancelled:
– $10M for “Mozambique voluntary medical male circumcision”
– $9.7M for UC Berkeley to develop “a cohort of Cambodian youth with enterprise driven skills”
– $2.3M for “strengthening…

— Department of Government Efficiency (@DOGE) February 15, 2025

The sweeping cancellations, Mr Musk’s department stated, were part of efforts to improve government efficiency and ensure taxpayer dollars were not being spent on “questionable” overseas political activities.

BJP’s “External Interference” Response

The BJP termed the now-cancelled funding “external interference” in India’s electoral process.

“$21M for voter turnout? This definitely is external interference in India’s electoral process. Who gains from this? Not the ruling party for sure!” said BJP national spokesperson Amit Malviya in a statement 

Mr Malviya further alleged “systematic infiltration” of Indian institutions by foreign forces, particularly targeting billionaire investor and philanthropist George Soros and his alleged network of global influence through his Open Society Foundation.

“Once again, it is George Soros, a known associate of the Congress party and the Gandhis, whose shadow looms over our electoral process,” Mr Malviya claimed.

Once again, it is George Soros, a known associate of the Congress party and the Gandhis, whose shadow looms over our electoral process.

In 2012, under the leadership of S.Y. Quraishi, the Election Commission signed an MoU with The International Foundation for Electoral… https://t.co/PO13Iyroee pic.twitter.com/gdgAQoDbPh

— Amit Malviya (@amitmalviya) February 16, 2025

He also flagged the controversial 2012 Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signed between the Election Commission of India and The International Foundation for Electoral Systems, an organisation linked to Mr Soros’s Open Society Foundation, which is primarily funded by USAID – the American federal body that oversees foreign aid and is facing massive budget cuts under Donald Trump’s presidency. 

“Ironically, those questioning the transparent and inclusive process of appointing India’s Election Commissioner-a first in our democracy, where previously the Prime Minister alone made the decision-had no hesitation in handing over the entire Election Commission of India to foreign operators,” Mr Malviya added.

According to Mr Malviya, the Congress-led UPA government “systematically enabled the infiltration of India’s institutions by forces opposed to the nation’s interests-those who seek to weaken India at every opportunity.”

The BJP alleges that foreign-backed civil society organisations and NGOs, particularly those linked to Mr Soros, have been working to influence Indian politics. 

The Bangladesh Situation 

The announcement that $29 million was marked for “strengthening the political landscape in Bangladesh” comes just days after President Trump addressed allegations of ‘deep state’ involvement in the recent political developments in Bangladesh. Asked during a joint press briefing with PM Modi whether the previous Biden administration had orchestrated a regime change, President Trump denied any such involvement.

“There was no role for our deep state. This is something the Prime Minister has been working on for a long time, for hundreds of years, frankly. I have been reading about it. I will leave Bangladesh to the Prime Minister,” President Trump said.

The response has done little to quell speculation. The ousting of former Bangladeshi Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and the subsequent rise of Nobel laureate Muhammad Yunus as the country’s interim leader have fueled claims of US-backed political manoeuvring.

Since Ms Hasina’s departure, diplomatic tensions between India and Bangladesh have escalated. Delhi has raised concerns about increasing attacks on religious minorities under the new regime.

Huge turnout of voters seen at a polling station in Ongole on polling day (May 13, 2024).
| Photo Credit: KOMMURI SRINIVAS

Chief Justice of India DY Chandrachud on Friday agreed to hear urgently at the end of the day an application filed by NGO Association for Democratic Reforms alleging inordinate delay in the publication of voter turnout data of the first two phases of polling in the Lok Sabha elections.

The NGO said that, besides delay in publishing the voter-turnout details, there was also a sharp spike in figures from the initial voter turnout percentages released by the Election Commission (EC), raising alarm bells in the public’s minds about the authenticity of the polling data available in the public domain.

The CJI agreed to hear the application at the end of the board of cases for the day and asked the EC counsel, advocate Amit Sharma, to take instructions.

Follow 2024 Lok Sabha Election Results here

Chief Justice Chandrachud said the court too needed time to go through the application.

Mr. Bhushan said the application was mentioned on May 13 before a Bench headed by Justice Sanjiv Khanna. The CJI had been abroad on an official trip. Justice Khanna had agreed to list the case on May 17 for hearing.

“I don’t know why it was listed in the mentioning list,” Mr. Bhushan told the CJI Bench.

The application has urged the court to direct the EC to disclose authenticated record of voter turnout by uploading on its website scanned legible copies of account of votes recorded at polling stations after each phase of voting in the on-going Lok Sabha elections. Rule 49S and Rule 56C (2) of the Conduct of Election Rules, 1961 require the presiding officer to prepare an account of votes recorded in form 17C (Part I) and the returning officer to record the number of votes in favour of each candidate.

Further, it has sought the publication of a constituency and polling station wise figures of voter turnout in absolute numbers and in percentage form.

The petition has also urged the court to direct the EC to disclose the candidate wise result of counting under after the compilation of results.

The petition said the voter turnout data for the first two phases of the Lok Sabha elections were published by the EC on April 30, after 11 days of the first phase of polling held on April 19 and four days after the second phase of polling held on April 26.

Follow India General Elections 2024 updates on May 17 here

The data published by the ECI in its April 30 press release showed a sharp increase (by about 5-6%) from the initial percentages announced by it on the polling day.

Initially, on April 19, after the first phase of polling, the EC had issued a press note stating that the tentative figure of voter turnout across 21 States/UTs reported was over 60% as of 7 pm. Similarly, after the second phase on April 26, the EC had said the turnout was at 60.96%.

“The inordinate delay in the release of final voter turnout data, coupled with the unusually high revision (of over 5%) in the EC press note of April 30 and the absence of disaggregated constituency and polling station figures in absolute numbers, has raised concerns and public suspicion regarding the correctness of the data… These apprehensions must be addressed and put to rest” the petition has said.