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Indian-American Democrat loses Congressional by-election

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By Arul Louis
New York, April 25 (IANS) A Democrat Indian-American doctor has narrowly lost a by-election to Congress in a heavily Republican constituency in Arizona but dramatically increased her party’s support in what was seen as a referendum on Donald Trump’s presidency.

Hiral Tipirneni lost by only six per cent of the votes in Tuesday’s by-election from a constituency that was considered so heavily Republican that the Democratic Party did not even bother to run a candidate there in 2016 considering it futile.

The by-election in the constituency, which covers the suburbs of the state’s main city Phoenix, was caused by the resignation of Trent Franks, the sex scandal-tainted long-time Republican member of the House of Representatives.

Trump polled 21 per cent more votes in the constituency against Hillary Clinton in the 2016 presidential election.

Had Tipirneni won, she would have joined the four Indian-Americans in the House of Representatives — Ami Bera, Raja Krishnamoorthi, Pramila Jayapal and Ro Khanna. Kamala Harris is a senator of part Indian-American heritage.

Despite Tipirneni’s defeat, her polling 47 per cent of the votes in a constituency that had previously been written off as unwinnable by the Democrats was seen as a boost for the party working hard to capture Congress in the November elections.

“Win or lose, we’re taking this to November,” Tipirineni told her supporters after the election, according to a report.

Arizona’s Republican Senator Jeff Flake conceded that Tipirneni’s showing was a warning to his party, saying that the six per cent margin signalled a threat.

Franks, who had served in the House of Representatives for 14 years, resigned in December when he faced charges of sexual harassing his employees, including offering one of them $5 million to be impregnated by him.

With the rising awareness of sexual harassment in the US and a rejuvenated women’s movement, the Republicans also fielded a women, Debbie Lesko, to run against Tipirneni.

Both parties poured a lot of money and resources into the campaign that followed two humiliating by-election defeats for Republicans in Alabama and Pennsylvania.

Pre-recorded calls by Trump flooded voters’ phones and House Speaker Paul Ryan held fundraisers for Lesko, a former state senator.

While rejecting corporate-linked contributions, Tipirneni raised $734,937 according to the latest filings with the Federal Election Commission reported by the political finance monitoring site OpenSecrets.org. Lesko brought in $564,404 to her campaign.

In addition, groups outside the state were reported to have spent about $1 million to support Lesko.

Supporters from around the nation mobilised to canvass for Tiprineni. She immigrated to the US as a three-year-old with her parents.

She lost her mother to cancer and has been an advocate for cancer research and care. A political novice, she worked as an emergency room doctor.

(Arul Louis can be reached at [email protected])

–IANS
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Dr. Abhishek Verma Dedicates a Shelter in Memory of His Mother, Veena Verma, at KGMU; Inaugurated by Daughter Nicolle Verma

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World-renowned business tycoon Dr. Abhishek Verma has supported Foodman Vishal Singh’s Hunger-Free World mission. In memory of his mother, Late Veena Verma, who was a 3 term Rajya Sabha MP.

Dr. Verma dedicated a state-of-the-art free permanent shelter for the attendants of patients at KGMU Medical University, Lucknow, under the aegis of Vijay Shree Foundation. His daughter, Nicolle Verma, inaugurated the shelter.

During the event, Foodman Vishal Singh honored Nicolle Verma by presenting her with a memento. Mrs. Nidhi Sharma and Avantika Yadav, associated with the organization, welcomed her with garlands. Following this, Nicolle Verma distributed essential items to the attendants and also handed out fruits. She became emotional remembering her grandmother on her birth anniversary.

On this occasion, she also inaugurated the “Veena Verma Sevalaya” in memory of her grandmother, Veena Verma, to serve the attendants. She expressed, “I feel proud that my family is engaged in nation-building as well as social service. Today, in collaboration with Vijay Shree Foundation founder Foodman Vishal Singh Ji, I feel immensely proud to dedicate this shelter for the poor, helpless, and needy attendants of patients battling serious illnesses like cancer. I am honored to be associated with the Hunger-Free World Mission for humanity.”

Inspired by the continuous humanitarian service provided by Vijay Shree Foundation over the past 17 years, Nicolle Verma donated 10 lakh rupees to support the cause. The purpose of this donation is to ensure that services continue for the needy attendants of patients suffering from severe illnesses in hospitals, as facilitated by Foodman Vishal Singh.

It is noteworthy that Dr. Abhishek Verma’s family has a legacy of public and philanthropic service. They are helping millions to carry forward the values and service work of their parents. On the occasion of his mother’s birth anniversary, Dr. Abhishek Verma dedicated this state-of-the-art permanent shelter at Lucknow Medical College to serve the attendants of patients through the Vijay Shree Foundation.

Supporting Foodman Vishal Singh’s Hunger-Free World mission, Dr. Abhishek Verma assured that he would continually support keeping this flame of humanity alive. He also promised to assist in providing medicines to the helpless patients.

Continuing her grandmother’s legacy of service, Nicolle Verma personally served food to the needy patients and attendants. She said, “It is our good fortune to have received the joy of doing this noble work today through Foodman Vishal Singh. I have taken another step forward in carrying my family’s values and cooperation by joining hands with the Vijay Shree Foundation. My father taught me to serve and help the needy, and I feel happy when I bring a smile to someone’s face.”

On the birth anniversary of the late Veena Verma, the event organizer, Vijay Shree Foundation founder Foodman Vishal Singh, said, “We feel proud and happy that Dr. Abhishek Verma, a globally renowned business tycoon, has extended his support to uplift our country from the hunger index. Today, on his mother’s birth anniversary, he inaugurated a state-of-the-art permanent shelter at Lucknow Medical College, which will always be helpful for the needy attendants of patients. It is a pleasure for me and the organization to receive the affection of Mr. Verma.”

The event was attended by General Manager Verma Family Office Hemant Garg, Sonu Rajput, and the organization’s volunteers, including Sandeep Singh, Parmeshwar Ji, Prashant Rao Gautam, Balram Singh, Ramesh Chaudhary, Suman, Jeetu, Anil, Suraj, Vinay, Manish Bhadauria, Manas Mehrotra, Vivek, Apurv, Happy, and others.

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