Indian village prays for JD Vance to become US vice-president

Every day in a simple temple in an Indian village, Hindu priest Subhramanya Sharma prays to his god for JD Vance to become vice-president of the United States.

Bowing before a silver clothwrapped idol of Sai Baba, a 19th century guru revered as a deity by his followers, the priest seeks blessings for the Republican politician and his wife, Usha.

Vadluru, a quiet village on the banks of a canal deep in the verdant countryside of Andhra Pradesh, is the ancestral home of Vance's wife, who will become the US second lady and the first who is not white - if Donald Trump is elected again.

"We bless her," said the priest, whose temple is in a building once owned by Usha's family, the Chilukuris. "She should get higher positions in her life. We priests offer special prayers for Usha and her husband."

Usha's great-grandfather moved out of Vadluru, but her ancestors are respected in the village as academic high-flyers and well-versed in Hindu scriptures.