The Vivekananda International Foundation (VIF) organised a talk on “US midterm Elections 2022: Implications for India and the World” on 21 November, 2022. Dr Arvind Gupta, Director, VIF, chaired the session and made welcome remarks. Prof K. P. Vijayalakshmi delivered the talk followed by a discussion by Mr Ashok Malik. Ambassador Anil Wadhwa and Lt. Gen. R.K. Sawhney were also part of the event.

The talk highlighted that the US midterm elections have a lot of significance in domestic politics. It projects the public's opinion about the policy of the current administration. These changes are expected to have global ramifications as well. In recent elections, the Republicans have gained a majority in the Lower House, the House of Representatives by a narrow margin. However, the Democrats have secured the upper house, the Senate.

It was pointed out that the electorate was too strong this time with a high voter turnout. Inflation and abortion rights were the top issues at home. In terms of foreign policy, there is rare bipartisanship between the Democrats and the Republicans about China and India while issues such as aid to Ukraine and policy towards Europe are likely to lead to a big fight in the House. The analysis during the talk highlighted that the election outcomes point to a partisan and bitter fight in the 2024 Presidential Election. Donald Trump's reelection bid and his declining popularity within the Republican Party were an important part of the discussion. The talk underlined that India has carried out a successful policy towards bolstering ties with the US which keeps it in a comfortable position irrespective of the outcomes of the next Presidential election.