India requires mandate for ‘clear and continuous’ leadership, says former top diplomat

Washington, May 23 (PTI) With two of the seven-phases of general elections remaining, a former top Indian diplomat has said the country needs a mandate for a “clear and continuous leadership” that can make crucial decisions to transform it into a developed nation by 2047.

Harsh Vardhan Shringla, the former foreign secretary and the Indian Ambassador to the US, who is on a private visit here, said that even in the US, he got the impression that the administration would like to see a clear mandate in India that would make it a strong economic power.

“What we need is a mandate for a clear and continuous leadership that can take the decisions that will take Bharat to a Vikshit Bharat stage by 2047. A clear mandate in which the people of India, especially the young people of India, vote to make sure that there is a ‘decisive mandate’ given to our leadership to take the country forward on the path that it has taken over the last 10 years,” he told PTI.

During the current trip, Shringla, who was also the chief coordinator for India’s G-20 presidency in 2023, has had meetings with several individuals not just in the realm of politics, both Democrats and Republicans, but also at the level of officials, businesses, academics, and community leaders.

“So, I’ve got a reasonable perspective in the short time that I’ve been here and I think there is a lot of optimism in the relationship,” he said in response to a question.

“In the US, I got an impression even from people in the administration that they would certainly like to see a clear mandate that would not only make India a stronger economic power but one that can contribute to the global economy.

“If we are one-sixth of humanity and we are doing well, then it stands to reason that everybody else will also benefit well. It’ll contribute to an upsurge in the global economy. So, everybody is conscious of that,” he said, adding, “The US, as a very close partner country, I think, believes that India’s growth will also be to the advantage of the United States.”

Shringla also listed the multiple schemes run by the current dispensation in India such as free ration scheme, free medical and health insurance, or improved sanitation in rural areas.

Starting April 19 through June 1, India is voting in seven phases to elect a new government. The results are to be declared on June 4.