NEW DELHI: A political debate on the transparency of Indian elections has started in India after the United States Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) canceled a โน1.75 billion grant intended to support voter turnout initiatives in India.
Amit Malviya, head of the BJPโs National Information & Technology Department, called the funding an attempt at external interference. He wrote on X (formerly Twitter), โ$21M for voter turnout? This definitely is external interference in Indiaโs electoral process. Who gains from this? Not the ruling party for sure!โ
โ $486M to the โConsortium for Elections and Political Process Strengthening,โ including $22M for โinclusive and participatory political processโ in Moldova and $21M for voter turnout in India.
$21M for voter turnout? This definitely is external interference in Indiaโs electoralโฆ https://t.co/DsTJhh9J2J
โ Amit Malviya (@amitmalviya) February 15, 2025
He blames Congress for taking its benefit. In another tweet, he wrote, โOnce again, it is George Soros, a known associate of the Congress party and the Gandhis, whose shadow looms over our electoral process.
In 2012, under the leadership of S.Y. Quraishi, the Election Commission signed an MoU with The International Foundation for Electoral Systemsโan organization linked to George Sorosโs Open Society Foundation, which is primarily funded by USAID.โ
Responding to this, Congress leader Pawan Khera dismissed Malviyaโs claims as misleading. Khera pointed out that a similar funding initiative was allegedly received by the Election Commission of India (ECI) during the Congress-led UPA government in 2012 through USAID. So, does that mean the BJP used the benefit of it in 2014?
Khera wrote, โSomeone tell this clown that in 2012, when ECI allegedly got this funding from USAID, the ruling party was Congress. So, by his logic: Congress was sabotaging its own electoral prospects by allowing this so-called โexternal interference.โ And that the opposition (BJP) won the 2014 elections because of Soros/USAID.โ
Someone tell this clown that in 2012, when ECI allegedly got this funding from USAID, the ruling party was Congress.
So, by his logic :
โช๏ธRuling party (Congress) was sabotaging its own electoral prospects by getting this so called โexternal interferenceโ.
โช๏ธAnd that theโฆ pic.twitter.com/Xa92irSf29โ Pawan Khera ๐ฎ๐ณ (@Pawankhera) February 17, 2025
Former Chief Election Commissioner S.Y. Quraishi also refuted claims that the ECI had signed an MoU for foreign funding to boost voter turnout. He clarified that the 2012 agreement with the International Foundation for Electoral Systems (IFES) was limited to training programs at the ECIโs India International Institute of Democracy and Election Management (IIIDEM).
The tweet came days after PM Modi made his visit to the US and had a private meeting with Donald Trump at the Oval Office of the White House in Washington, DC. The Election Commission of India has yet to issue an official statement on the matter. However, experts believe that the controversy could lead to further scrutiny of foreign-funded election programs in India.
What is DOGE?
The Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) is not an official government department but an advisory body created through an executive order by U.S. President Donald Trump. The initiative, supported by tech billionaire Elon Musk, aims to save taxpayer money and reduce the U.S. national debt, which currently stands at $36 trillion. Initially, Musk estimated potential savings of $2 trillion annually, though he later tempered this figure. The decision was also part of a broader move by the U.S. government to revoke nearly half a billion dollars in international aid funding.
Among the axed programs were a $40 million gender equality initiative, $19 million for biodiversity conservation in Nepal, and $2.5 million for strengthening democracies in Southern Africa.
