Trump's win will not affect migration of skilled workers

VIJAY CHAUTHAIWALE, in charge of the Bharatiya Janata Party's (BJP's) foreign affairs department, has led the party's Indian diaspora outreach for over a decade. He tells Archis Mohan in a telephonic interview that he expects the Donald Trump administration to be more pragmatic in dealing with India's concerns on protectionism and visas for skilled Indian immigrants. Excerpts:

- VIJAY CHAUTHAIWALE

Indian immigrants. Excerpts: What is your assessment of the US presidential election result?

The trends and the news coming from the United States (US) in the past three-four weeks had indicated a clear momentum for Donald Trump. So for me the results were not a big surprise. The American voters rejected the ultra-liberalism and wokeism, which has become sort of a core of the Democratic Party. Much of the analysis now, including in the American press, has attributed the defeat of the Democratic Party to these ultra-left elements. A majority of the people who are centrists became uncomfortable with these positions, and shifted towards the Republicans. If that is the case, then "moderation" would be the key word for the next phase in US politics, which is good for everyone. Moreover, the economy and inflation were pertinent issues. Unfortunately, Kamala Harris could not clarify her position on these critical issues, and therefore, she always tried to vilify Trump, accusing him of being a fascist and unstable. But the people rejected that hypothesis.

You have interacted with the Indian diaspora in the US over the past decade. Why do you think Indian Americans, or even Hispanics, are shifting towards the Republicans?