It's Tamil Nadu vs. Andhra in US vice president race?
Former United States President Donald Trump formally picked his running mate, JD Vance, on Monday, following a long wait. Shortly after the announcement, two types of debates started on social media. The first was among US netizens, with the focus primarily on how Vance will fare against Vice President Kamala Harris. The second was among Indian netizens, who had managed to make it a contest between Tamil Nadu and Andhra Pradesh.
Harris's Indian connection traced to Tamil Nadu
The reason being—Harris has a Tamil Nadu link, while Vance's wife, Usha Chilukuri Vance, traces her lineage back to Andhra Pradesh. Harris's link to India is through her mother, Shyamala Gopalan, who was born in the Besant Nagar neighborhood of Chennai. Gopalan relocated to the US as a teenager to pursue a doctoral degree at the University of California Berkeley. There she met Donald J Harris of Jamaican descent, and they married in 1963. They welcomed Harris in 1964.
JD Vance's wife Usha Chilukuri Vance's Andhra Pradesh roots
Unlike Harris, Usha's parents lived in Andhra Pradesh's Chilakaluripeta before moving to the US, where she was born. She is a successful legal associate with a private law firm in San Francisco and previously worked as a legal clerk at the US Supreme Court. She holds degrees from Yale University and Columbia University. Commenting on the situation between Harris and Vance, a user wrote, "So the US Presidential Elections are now a toss between Tamil Nadu and Andhra-Kamala v/s Usha!"
Harris vs. Vance
If Biden wins, Harris will continue to serve as Vice President, but if Trump and Vance win, Usha will become the Second Lady, residing at the Naval Observatory. Harris's primary advantage over Vance is experience. Before becoming Vice President, Harris was the first female attorney general of California and represented the state in the Senate for three years. Vance, in comparison, has served in the Senate for less than two years and has no prior political experience.
