The US Department of Government Efficiency cancelled a $21 million grant for influencing voter turnout in India, part of broader cutbacks in overseas funding, prompting allegations of foreign interference from BJP officials.
New Delhi: In a major policy shift, the United States Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), led by Elon Musk, has cancelled a $21 million taxpayer-funded grant that was initially allocated under former President Joe Biden’s administration to influence “voter turnout in India.”
DOGE announced that the $21 million was part of a larger $486 million budget dedicated to the “Consortium for Elections and Political Process Strengthening.” The decision to revoke this funding is part of a broader effort to reduce overseas political expenditures and eliminate questionable government spending.
Apart from the India-specific grant, DOGE has also axed several other US-funded international projects, including:
- $29 million for “strengthening the political landscape in Bangladesh.”
- $47 million for “improving learning outcomes in Asia.”
- $40 million for a “gender equality and women empowerment hub.”
- $32 million to the Prague Civil Society Centre.
- $22 million to foster an “inclusive and participatory political process” in Moldova.
- $20 million for “fiscal federalism” in Nepal.
- $19 million for “biodiversity conservation” in Nepal.
- $14 million for “social cohesion” in Mali.
- $14 million for “improving public procurement” in Serbia.
- $10 million for “Mozambique voluntary medical male circumcision.”
- $9.7 million for UC Berkeley to train “Cambodian youth with enterprise-driven skills.”
- $2.5 million for “inclusive democracies in Southern Africa.”
- $2.3 million for “strengthening independent voices in Cambodia.”
- $2 million for “sustainable recycling models” for marginalized Kosovo communities.
- $1.5 million for “voter confidence” in Liberia.
DOGE stated that these cancellations are aimed at improving government efficiency and ensuring taxpayer dollars are not wasted on overseas political activities.
The BJP has strongly opposed the now-cancelled US funding, calling it a case of “external interference in India’s electoral process.”
“$21M for voter turnout? This definitely is external interference in India’s electoral process. Who gains from this? Not the ruling party for sure!”
said BJP national spokesperson Amit Malviya.
Mr. Malviya further alleged a systematic infiltration of Indian institutions by foreign forces, particularly targeting billionaire investor George Soros and his Open Society Foundation, which he claims is attempting to influence Indian elections.
“Once again, it is George Soros, a known associate of the Congress party and the Gandhis, whose shadow looms over our electoral process,”
he claimed.
He also criticized the 2012 Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between the Election Commission of India and The International Foundation for Electoral Systems, an organization linked to Soros’s Open Society Foundation, which is primarily funded by USAID—the US government’s foreign aid agency.
“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,”
Mr. Malviya added.
He accused the Congress-led UPA government of enabling the “infiltration of India’s institutions by forces opposed to national interests.”
The $29 million earmarked for “strengthening the political landscape in Bangladesh” has raised further suspicions, especially following the ousting of former Bangladeshi Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and the subsequent rise of Nobel laureate Muhammad Yunus as the country’s interim leader.
President Donald Trump recently addressed allegations that the previous Biden administration was involved in regime change in Bangladesh.
“There was no role for our deep state. This is something the Prime Minister has been working on for a long time, for hundreds of years, frankly. I have been reading about it. I will leave Bangladesh to the Prime Minister,”
Trump said in a joint press briefing with PM Narendra Modi.
However, these remarks have not stopped speculation that the US played a role in the political shake-up in Bangladesh.
Since Hasina’s departure, relations between India and Bangladesh have become strained, with Delhi raising concerns over increasing attacks on religious minorities under the new regime.
The cancellation of the $21 million US taxpayer-funded grant for voter turnout in India marks a significant shift in US foreign policy under the leadership of Elon Musk’s DOGE.
With the BJP calling out alleged foreign interference and raising concerns over George Soros’s influence, the move is likely to fuel further political and diplomatic debates in the coming months.
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