Elon Musk-led United States Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) has cancelled a USD 21 million US taxpayer-funded grant under former President Joe Biden’s administration, meant to influence the voter turnout in India. DOGE in its announcement, said that the USD 21 million was part of a larger $486 million budget allocated to the “Consortium for Elections and Political Process Strengthening.”
The ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) responding to this said that the USAID (United States Agency for International Development) funding was proof of “external interference in India’s electoral process.”
“USD 21M for voter turnout? This definitely is external interference in India’s electoral process. Who gains from this? Not the ruling party for sure!” BJP’s national IT cell head Amit Malviya said in a post on X.
The decision by DOGE is part of a broader effort by the Donald Trump administration to curtail government spending. The Musk-led group also revealed that other taxpayer-funded projects also faced the axe, including:
– $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 independent voices in Cambodia”
– $32M to the Prague Civil Society Centre
– $40M for “gender equality and women empowerment hub”
– $14M for “improving public procurement” in Serbia
– $486M to the “Consortium for Elections and Political Process Strengthening,” including $22M for “inclusive and participatory political process” in Moldova and $21M for voter turnout in India
– $29M to “strenghening political landscape in Bangladesh”
– $20M for “fiscal federalism” in Nepal
– $19M for “biodiversity conversation” in Nepal
– $1.5M for “voter confidence” in Liberia
– $14M for “social cohesion” in Mali
– $2.5M for “inclusive democracies in Southern Africa”
– $47M for “improving learning outcomes in Asia”
– $2M to develop “sustainable recycling models” to “increase socio-economic cohesion among marginalized communities of Kosovo Roma, Ashkali, and Egypt”
Systematic infiltration of India’s institutions: BJP
During his response to the voter turnout funding, Malviya also flagged the controversial 2012 Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signed between the Election Commission of India and The International Foundation for Electoral Systems, an organization linked to George Soros’s Open Society Foundation, which is primarily funded by USAID.
“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,” Malviya said.
“It is becoming increasingly evident that the Congress-led UPA 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,” he added.
