Indian American and South Asian Americans have come in significant numbers as

Indian American and South Asian Americans have come in significant numbers as delegates from around the country to the Democratic National Convention being held in Charlotte, North Carolina, Sept. 3-6. Their numbers indicate the level of diversity in the Democratic Party in contrast to the Republican Convention where according to a Washington Post estimate, only 2 percent of the delegates were from minority communities. Polls by several reputed agencies and organizations have shown more than 60 percent of Indian Americans support President Obama. In the 2008 elections, Indian American youth played a frontline role in outreach efforts of the party. It is not clear if they are similarly energized this year. President Obama had appointed numerous Indian Americans to top positions at the start of his administration. Several have since left to join other organizations or enter political races.
Among the nearly 6,000 delegates coming to vote President Obama as the candidate for a second term, News India Times found at least 121 of South Asian origin, a majority of them of Indian origin going by the names listed. While Arizona had just 1 South Asian delegate named in the list, Khalid Hasan, a physician from Gilbert, AZ, and the state of Washington also named just one Indian American delegate, while California had the largest contingent numbering 47 delegates, most of them of Indian origin, a few of them high profile activists like Kamil Hasan, Shalini “Shelly” K. Collins, Shefali Razdan Duggal, and politicians like Councilman Ash Kalra of San Jose, Calif. From Washington, D.C., just one, but a heavy hitter, influential Democratic Party activist Suneeta Leeds is on the list. Pennsylvania, which also has a significant Indian American community in pockets, sent 4 delegates, among them attorney and former diplomat Kamana Mathur of Oakdale, PA, who told News India Times, she heads the party’s ethnic outreach efforts in Western Pennsylvania.

For its small size, Connecticut sent an impressive number of delegates – 4; and even Vice President Joe Biden’s state of Delaware sent 1, Robert Agarwal of Wilmington, Delaware; Texas sent 9; two members of the same family came from Colorado, top fundraiser Dr. Mona Merchant and daughter Monisha, both elected delegates from that state; New Jersey, with its large concentration of Indian Americans sent 6 delegates of Indian and South Asian origin, including Assemblyman Upendra Chivukula who is running for the U.S. House of Representatives from District 7, and Councilman Sudhanshu Prasad from Edison, N.J.. Eight delegates arrived from New York and 9 from Illinois. There are just 4 listed from Florida though the state has a significant concentration of Indian Americans. The same goes for Maryland which sent just 3 Indian Americans despite several elected members in the state assembly. Among the Maryland delegates is State Rep. Aruna Miller. Ohio sent 3 Indian Americans including State Rep. Jay Goyal, once the youngest to be elected to the legislature, who has said he will not be seeking re-election.

Five Indian American delegates were from North Carolina, the state hosting the convention. However, there was no one from the states run by Indian American governors – South Carolina and Louisiana.

121 Indian American and South Asian Certified Delegates to the Dem Convention (source: Democratic Party)

Mr. Khalid Hasan Gilbert AZ Ms. Anila Ali Irvine CA Mr. Gurdev S Atwal Stockton CA Ms. Nimi Badwalz Elk Grove CA Mr. Iqbal S Badwalz Elk Grove CA Ms. Rajbir K Bainiwal Stockton CA Ms. Kulbir K Bainiwal Stockton CA Mr. Nachhatar S Bhullar Arcadia CA Mr. Karippaparampil T Bose Carlsbad CA Ms. Sarabjit Kaur Cheema Union City CA Ms. Shalini (Shelly) K Collins Danville CA Ms. Krisna Crawford-Velasco Granada Hills CA Mr. Tejinder S Dhami Fremont CA Mr. Pankit Doshi Rowland Heights CA Ms. Shefali Razdan Duggal San Francisco CA Ms. Sadhana D Franchi Hillsborough CA Ms. Satdip Gill Woodland CA Mr. Kulwant Gill San Jose CA Mr. Manmeet S Grewal Modesto CA Hon. Kamala D Harris San Francisco CA Dr. Kamil Hasan Saratoga CA Mr. Sean Hassan San Bruno CA Ms. Smita N Hussain Oakland CA Mr. Ash Kalra San Jose CA Mr. Mani Kang Orange CA Ms. Parvinder Kang Sacramento CA Ms. Harinder Kaur Union City CA Mr. Kulwant S Khaira San Mateo CA Ms. Talat Khan Alta Loma CA Mr. Charu T Khopkar Long Beach CA Mr. Andrew Lachman Los Angeles CA Mr. Sukhwinder S Lamba Santa Rosa CA Mr. Ammar J Najjar Chula Vista CA Mr. Madhu Narasimhan Fremont CA Mr. Kuljit S Nijjar Stockton CA Mr. Amrik Singh Pannu Hercules CA Ms. Sabahat N Rafiq Monte Sereno CA Mr. Abdul S Rahman Antioch CA Ms. Mona A Razani Aliso Viejo CA Ms. Tanisha K Sandhu El Sobrante CA Mr. Harpreet S Sandhu Richmond CA Ms. Rumka Singh Santa Rosa CA Mr. Jaskirate Singh Milpitas CA Mr. Daljit Singh Visalia CA Mr. Resham Singh Bakersfield CA Mr. Raj K Singh Riverside CA Mr. Harjot S Virk Roseville CA Mr. Maheet S Virk Roseville CA Ms. Monisha Merchant Lakewood CO Dr. Mona Merchant Lakewood CO Mr. Riju Das Farmington CT Mr. Atul Shah Waterford CT Ms. Moh Sharma South Windsor CT Mr. Arvind Shaw Eastford CT Ms. Sunita Leeds Washington DC Mr. Robert Agarwal Wilmington DE Dr. Deeba Ahmad Orlando FL Mr. Radwan Chowdhury Jacksonville FL Ms. Seeta Durjan-Esmailbegui Satellite Beach FL Mr. Ahmad (Abe) Nawab St. Petersburg FL Mr. Sheikh M Rahman Dublin GA Mr. Sai Reddy Atlanta GA Dr. Amreeta Regmi City of Peachtree Corners GA Ms. Sonia Desai Bhagwakar Itasca IL Ms. Navreet K Heneghan Lombard IL Dr. Kasthuri Henry Huntley IL Mr. Shankar Iyer Chicago IL Ms. Lakshmi Lakshmanan Evanston IL Mr. Sunil Puri Rockford IL Dr. Mridu Sekhar Chicago IL Ms. Smita N Shah Chicago IL Mr. Balvinder Singh Lincolnwood IL Ms. Jasmin Shaheed-Young Indianapolis IN Ms. Kasar Sharma-Crawford Lawrence KS Mr. Mushtaque A Mirza Cambridge MA Mr. Anwer Hasan Clarksville MD Ms. Almina Khorakiwala Rockville MD Hon. Aruna Miller Darnestown MD Ms. Seema Ahmad Canton MI Mr. Ahmad Chebbani Dearborn MI Ms. Jayashree Kommareddi Grand Blanc MI Mr. Ramesh C Verma Novi MI Mr. Azfer Ansari Eagan MN Ms. Shivanthi Sathanandan Saint Paul MN Mr. Ananth Shankar Maplewood MN Mr. Gautam Desai Charlotte NC Ms. Vani D Hari Charlotte NC Mr. Vibhav Kollu Concord NC Mr. Arunava Sanyal Raleigh NC Mr. Vined Thomas Cornelius NC Ms. Urvashi Banerjea Wayne NJ Ms. Neena Bitritto-Garg Summit NJ Hon. Upendra J Chivukula Somerset NJ Hon. Rizwan Malik Atlantic City NJ Mr. Rushabh (Rishi) Mehta North Bergen NJ Hon. Sudhanshu Prasad Edison NJ Ms. Nina Agrawal New York NY Mr. Ahsan Khan New York NY Ms. Maimun N Khan New Hartford NY Mr. Gurdip Singh Narula Bellerose NY Mr. Hersh Parekh Rego Park NY Dr. Taj Rajkumar Richmond Hill NY Ms. Uma Sengupta Flushing NY Mr. Abdus Shahid Bronx NY Hon. Jay Goyal Mansfield OH Mr. Neil Patel Westerville OH Ms. Lakshmi Satyanarayana Columbus OH Ms. N. Nina Ahmad Philadelphia PA Ms. Riffat S Chughtai Murrysville PA Ms. Kamana Mathur Oakdale PA Mr. Adrian Shanker Bethlehem PA Hon. Eduardo Bhatia San Juan PR Mr. Palak Gosar Katy TX Mr. Syed Hassan Arlington TX Ms. Amina Ismail Dallas TX Mr. Tariq Jaffrey Irving TX Ms. Bharati “Bobbi” Kommineni Austin TX Ms. Sobia Malik Dickinson TX Mr. Farrukh Shamsi Houston TX Mr. Aftab Ahmad Siddiqui Arlington TX Ms. Mini Timmaraju Sugar Land TX Mr. Osman Ahmed West Jordan UT Ms. Julie Agarwal Arlington VA Mr. Jay Bandhari Dunn Loring VA Ms. Lovely Lall Leesburg VA Dr. Babur Lateef Manassas VA Hon. Kesha K Ram Burlington VT Ms. Nisha Nariya Renton WA Mr. Marc Oommen Mount Vernon WA Mr. Sameer Ranade Seattle WA Mr. Sachin Chheda Milwaukee WI