NEW YORK: Indian-American Bobby Jindal, a conservative Republican, achieved a major success in breaking the racial barriers when he soundly and decisively defeated 11 candidates to become the youngest Governor of once racially segregated US State of Louisiana.
When he takes over in January next, he would become the first non-White Governor in the country since a Reconstruction era figure held the job briefly 130 years ago. 36-year-old Oxford-educated Jindal also becomes the first person of Indian-origin to hold the Governor's post, showing the growing clout of the Indian American community in the political and economic fields. Jindal polled more than 50 per cent of votes in the election on Saturday, thus avoiding a run off which was set for November 17 if no candidate had got half the votes polled.
He had earlier defeated three main rivals in the primary. Jindal, who had lost the Governor's race four years ago to Kathleen Blanco, this time defeated a slate of 11 opponents including two Democrats, State Senator Walter Boasso, Louisiana Public Service Commissioner Foster Campbell and an independent businessman John Georges in a closely watched election. Jindal, son of Indian immigrants, got 53 per cent votes with 625,036 ballots cast in his favor - more than enough to avoid the November 17 runoff.
"Let's give our homeland, the great state of Louisiana, a fresh start," Jindal said after his victory. His nearest competitors were Boasso, who won 18 per cent with 208,690 votes; Georges, who got 14 per cent with 116,477 votes; and Campbell, who had 13 per cent with 141,346 votes. Eight candidates divided the rest. Daunting challenges Bobby Jindal faces daunting challenges ahead when he takes over one of the poorest and low-literacy level states of the United State from incumbent Kathleen Blanco.
Born on June 10, 1971 in Baton Rouge in Louisiana, Republican Jindal, a rising star of President George W Bush's party, impressively defeated his opponents in the Gubernatorial poll in a state that usually picks its leaders from deep in the rural hinterland and has not had a non-white head since the reconstruction era. Jindal, who was twice elected to two-year term each for Congress from Louisiana's First Congressional District based in the suburbs of New Orleans, is currently a member of the House of Representatives and would retain the post till January next when he assumes the charge as Governor in January next, the youngest person to hold the post in the country.
He faces significant challenges as the Chief Executive of Louisiana, a state which was devastated by hurricans Katrina and Rita. Incumbent Blanco had faced severe criticism for her handling of the situation in the aftermath of the hurricanes. Jindal, who was born as a Hindu but converted to Catholicism, attended high school at Baton Rouge Magnet High School. In 1991, he graduated from Brown University in Providence, Rhode Island, with honors in biology and public policy.
Afterwards, he received a master's degree in political science from New College, Oxford as a Rhodes Scholar. Mixed feelings Welcoming the election of Bobby Jindal as Governor of Louisiana, the Indian American Leadership Initiative (IALI), a Democratic network, has described it as a major success for the community but said his position on various subjects leaves a "mixed feeling". Reacting to Jindal's election, IALI spokesman Toby Chaudhuri said Bobby is a conservative Republican and most Indian Americans are not. "So there is a mixed feeling about him." Jindal, a born-again Roman Catholic, supports teaching "intelligent design" as an alternative to evolution in public schools, favors ban on abortion and opposes hate-crime laws.
"As a born-again Roman Catholic, Jindal may have cornered the Mother Theresa vote, but Mahatma Gandhi certainly would've opposed him on principle," said Chaudhuri. He claimed that Louisiana's lack of progress is a reflection of conservative policies that have auctioned government responsibilities to the highest bidders and sacrificed the fate of citizens for political gains.
"Honest, working people in Louisiana are ready to take back their government, but it will take major public investments to turn the state around - investments that run counter to Jindal's conservative ideologies," he said. IALI President Jay Chaudhuri of North Carolina said that Jindal's election will be a point of pride for many Indian-Americans, for the most part. But his election is a "double-edged sword," he said.
"On the one hand, Jindal's economic policies should appeal to our well-to-do community. On the other, his social policies such as prayer in school will be troubling to Indian Americans, many of whom are non-Christians. Today, Jindal represents our community's seat at the table. The question will be as he governs whether he is the right person in the seat."
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