U.S. President Donald Trump. File
| Photo Credit: AP

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If not for the newly created Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), headed by Elon Musk, the public might not have known that, ahead of the 2014 parliamentary elections in India and beyond, the American establishment was funneling large sums of dollars for “voter turnout” initiatives among marginalised communities in India.

The question arises: what was the purpose of this funding, and whose interests was it serving? What stake does the United States have in India’s elections and the voter turnout of specific demographics?

US President Donald Trump’s statement on this issue deserves serious attention. He remarked that USAID’s spending in Indian elections was not an effort to promote democracy but rather to restrict it. “Why do we need to spend $21 million on voter turnout in India? I guess they were trying to get somebody elected. We’ve got to tell the Indian government… This is a total breakthrough.”

Although USAID’s involvement in India dates back to the 1960s, its focus has shifted over time—from food security to governance reforms. Since 2011, its Democratic Elections and Political Processes (DEPP) programme has allocated over $318,614 annually to the Consortium for Elections and Political Process Strengthening (CEPPS) for India-specific projects.

Financial disclosures reveal that CEPPS disbursements peaked during election years. In FY2014, $21 million—equivalent to ₹182 crores at today’s exchange rate—was sent to India for “voter awareness” campaigns. These funds were distributed monthly from January to May, coinciding exactly with the national election campaign. After May 2014, funding dropped by 83%, suggesting that the objective was electoral rather than institutional. A similar pattern occurred in 2019, with $486 million allocated regionally. Fortunately, cautious Indian agencies blocked portions of these funds, citing violations of the Foreign Contribution Regulation Act (FCRA).

Some observers draw parallels between USAID’s allocations to India and the $29 million designated for “strengthening the political landscape” in Bangladesh. Recent events in Bangladesh have shown how that landscape was “strengthened.” In contrast, India has remained stable and democratic, largely because citizens believed in Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s intent and governance, despite repeated attempts to manufacture public unrest on various issues.

Additionally, USAID awarded over $750,000 for a programme aimed at “alleviating loneliness among migrant garment workers in India”. This raises pertinent questions: Who were these so-called migrant workers? How exactly was this programme supposed to alleviate their loneliness? There are multiple theories about the potential beneficiaries and the underlying objectives.

Another critical issue is the Election Commission of India (ECI) signing a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the US-based International Foundation for Electoral Systems (IFES) in 2012 during the tenure of the Sonia Gandhi-Manmohan Singh-led UPA government.

Former Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) S.Y. Quraishi has acknowledged the agreement with IFES but denies that the ECI received any funds from USAID. He insists that the MoU was similar to agreements signed with other international election bodies and was intended for training purposes at the ECI’s India International Institute of Democracy and Election Management (IIIDEM).

However, analysing Quraishi’s statement reveals an important distinction. No one is alleging that the ECI itself received USAID money. Instead, funds were channelled through multiple NGOs, both Indian and foreign. While Quraishi describes the IIIDEM training programme as catering to “desirous countries,” leaked audits indicate that USAID’s explicit focus was on “increasing voter participation in marginalised communities”—a goal that critics argue aligns with domestic political agendas.

A Closer Look at IFES and IIIDEM

According to IFES’s website, “The Open Society Foundations, founded by George Soros, are the world’s largest private funder of independent groups working for justice, democratic governance, and human rights. They provide thousands of grants annually through a network of national and regional foundations and offices, funding a vast array of projects.”

Reports indicate that IFES’s India operations received dual funding from USAID and major tech corporations—Google, Meta, and Microsoft—between 2012 and 2025. While this public-private funding model is innovative, it also creates conflicting interests.

The ECI established IIIDEM in 2011, shortly before signing the MoU with IFES. Training modules at IIIDEM reportedly emphasised “inclusive electoral practices” and “Dalit voter mobilisation”.

A 2013 IFES policy paper advocated for caste-based voter categorisation, a stance that was later echoed by opposition parties in parliamentary debates by 2016. This culminated in Congress leader Rahul Gandhi’s politically charged slogan, “Jitni Abadi, Utna Haq” (As per population, so should be the rights).

Following the revelations by DOGE regarding USAID’s outbound funding, senior country director of IFES for India and Nepal, Vasu Mohan, deleted his X (formerly Twitter) account.

This raises a question: is there a connection between Rahul Gandhi’s statements on Western soil, where he claimed that democracy in India is being “undone”, and his appeals for American and European intervention?

The information revealed by DOGE and subsequent actions raise serious concerns about foreign influence in India’s electoral processes. The alignment of USAID funding patterns with election cycles, the focus on specific voter demographics, and the involvement of foreign organisations suggest a deliberate effort to shape political outcomes. These revelations warrant deeper investigation and transparency from all parties involved.

(The author is Consulting Editor, NDTV)

Disclaimer: These are the personal opinions of the author

New Delhi:

The BJP lashed out at the Congress, accusing it of seeking foreign funds to stop Prime Minister Narendra Modi from coming to power in 2014. The party’s allegations came a day after US President Donald Trump questioned a move by former president Joe Biden’s administration to provide $21 million to India for “voter turnout” and questioned if they were “trying to get somebody else elected”.

The Congress has demanded a White Paper on the USAID funds to India and dubbed Trump’s claims as “nonsensical”.

BJP sources said during the rule of the erstwhile Congress-led United Progressive Alliance (UPA), the government received $204.28 million, while the NGOs received $2114.96 million. This inflow slowed down to a trickle once the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) came to power. The government funding dropped to $1 million from 2014 to 2015, though the funding of non-profits increased to $2579.73 million. 

Since its creation, George Soros’s OCCRP, which produced anti-government reports that were used by the Congress to target the NDA government, received $47 million, sources said.  

“After the Modi Government came to power, funding to the NGOs and other avenues in India increased significantly, showcasing how the focus has shifted from USAID being directly involved in governmental matters to funding anti-India/anti-national forums in India,” BJP sources claimed.

Jairam Ramesh, the Congress’s senior leader and communications in-charge, has hit back with a demand for a White Paper.

In a post on X, Mr Ramesh said: “USAID is very much in the news these days. It was set up on November 3, 1961. Claims being made by the US President are typically nonsensical to say the least. Even so, the Govt of India should bring out a White Paper at the earliest detailing USAID’s support to both governmental and non-governmental institutions in India over the decades”.

USAID is very much in the news these days.

It was set up on November 3, 1961. Claims being made by the US President are typically nonsensical to say the least. Even so, the Govt of India should bring out a White Paper at the earliest detailing USAID’s support to both…

— Jairam Ramesh (@Jairam_Ramesh) February 20, 2025

On February 16, the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), led by US billionaire and SpaceX chief Musk, listed items on which the “US taxpayer dollars were going to be spent” and the list included “$21 million for voter turnout in India”.

On Thursday, Trump questioned the purpose of providing $21 million to India for “voter turnout”. “Why do we need to spend USD 21 million for voter turnout in India? I guess they were trying to get somebody else elected,” President Trump said.

Displaced Palestinian children wait to receive free food at a tent camp, amid food shortages, as the conflict between Israel and Hamas continues, in Rafah, in the southern Gaza Strip, on February 27, 2024.
| Photo Credit: Reuters

The Hamas-run Health Ministry said on February 29 more than 30,000 Palestinians have been killed in Gaza since the war between the militant group and Israel began nearly five months ago.

While mediators say a truce deal between Israel and Hamas could be just days away, aid agencies have sounded the alarm of a looming famine in Gaza’s north.

Children have died “due to malnutrition, dehydration and widespread famine” at Gaza City’s Al-Shifa hospital, said the Health Ministry, whose spokesman Ashraf al-Qudra has called for “immediate action” from international organisations to prevent more of these deaths.

Citing the deteriorating conditions in Gaza, USAID head Samantha Power said Israel needed to open more crossings so that “vitally needed humanitarian assistance can be dramatically surged”. “This is a matter of life and death,” Ms. Power said in a video posted on social media platform X.

“The latest overall toll for Palestinians killed in the war came after at least 79 people died overnight across the war-torn Gaza Strip,” the Health Ministry said on February 29.

Mediators from Egypt, Qatar and the United States have been seeking a six-week pause in the war sparked by Hamas’s October 7 attack on Israel, which in response vowed to eliminate the Palestinian Islamist group that rules in Gaza.

Negotiators are hoping a truce can begin by the start of Ramadan, the holy Muslim month that kicks off March 10 or 11, depending on the lunar calendar.

The proposals reportedly include the release of some Israeli hostages held in Gaza in exchange for several hundred Palestinian detainees held by Israel.

Short of the complete withdrawal Hamas has called for, a source from the group said the deal might see Israeli forces leave “cities and populated areas”, allowing the return of some displaced Palestinians and humanitarian relief.

U.S. President Joe Biden is “pushing all of us to try to get this agreement over the finish line”, said his Secretary of State Antony Blinken.

Famine imminent in northern Gaza: World Food Programme

The crucial southern Gaza city of Rafah is the main entry point for aid crossing the border from neighbouring Egypt.

But the World Food Programme said no humanitarian group had been able to deliver aid to the north for more than a month, accusing Israel of blocking access. Neighbouring Jordan has coordinated efforts to air-drop supplies over southern Gaza.

“If nothing changes, a famine is imminent in northern Gaza,” the World Food Programme’s deputy executive director Carl Skau said.

Israeli officials have denied blocking supplies, and the Army on Wednesday said “50 trucks carrying humanitarian aid” had made it to northern Gaza in recent days.

The war was triggered by an unprecedented Hamas attack on southern Israel that resulted in the deaths of around 1,160 people, mostly civilians, according to an AFP tally of official Israeli figures.

Militants also took about 250 hostages, 130 of whom remain in Gaza, including 31 presumed dead, according to Israel. Israel’s retaliatory military campaign in Gaza has left hundreds of thousands displaced, with nearly 1.5 million people now packed in Rafah.

In a sign of growing desperation among Gazans over living conditions, a rare protest was held on February 28 by residents over the soaring prices of commodities.

“Everyone is suffering inside these tents,” said Amal Zaghbar, who was displaced and sheltering in a makeshift camp. “We’re dying slowly.”

Israel has repeatedly threatened a ground offensive on Rafah, with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu saying a truce would only delay it, as such an operation was needed for “total victory” over Hamas.

Egypt, which borders Rafah, says an assault on the overcrowded city would have “catastrophic repercussions”.

Stop this insane war: Palestinian Foreign Minister Riyad al-Maliki

While Israel’s plans for post-war Gaza exclude any mention of the Palestinian Authority (PA), its top ally the United States and other powers have called for a revitalised PA, which governs the occupied West Bank, to take charge of the territory.

Palestinian Foreign Minister Riyad al-Maliki said a “technocratic” government without Gaza’s rulers Hamas was needed to “stop this insane war” and facilitate relief operations and reconstruction.

His government, based in the West Bank, resigned this week, with Prime Minister Mohammad Shtayyeh citing the need for change after the war ends.

A government that includes Hamas — long-time rivals of president Mahmud Abbas’s Fatah party, which controls the PA — would “be boycotted by a number of countries”, Mr. Maliki told a news conference in Geneva.

On February 29, Palestinian factions — including Hamas and Fatah — were expected to arrive in Moscow for a meeting at Russia’s invitation.

“The central goal is how to unite the Palestinian ranks,” Mustafa Barghouti of the Palestinian National Initiative — a civilian political party — told Qatar state TV from Moscow. In Israel, Netanyahu has come under increasing pressure to bring the hostages home. Israeli Defence Minister Yoav Gallant insisted the government was “making every effort”.

A group of 150 Israelis started a four-day march from Reim, near the Gaza border, to Jerusalem, calling for the government to reach a deal. “No one should be left behind,” said Ronen Neutra, father of captive Omer Neutra, an Israeli soldier who is also a U.S. citizen.