Third Indian-American enters 2024 US presidential race

Washington, July 29 (IANS) Aerospace engineer Hirsh Vardhan Singh has become the third Indian-American vying for the Republican nomination for the 2024 US presidential race after former South Carolina Governor Nikki Haley and entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy.

Singh, 38, introduced himself as a lifelong Republican and an "America First constitutional carry and pro-life conservative who helped restore the conservative wing of New Jersey’s Republican Party starting in 2017" in a video message posted on Twitter on Thursday.

He ran unsuccessfully for the US Senate in 2020, and the present bid is the fourth time the defence and aerospace industry executive is eyeing public office.

According to Singh, Americans face grave threats from the corruption of both, big tech and big pharma, and in addition, there is an all out attack on American family values, parental rights and open debate.

“While Big Pharma has made massive profits working with the government to compel everyone to take the experimental vaccines, Big Tech has become the Big Brother, who invades our privacy and indulges in censorship of our political and contrarian viewpoints,” her said in an over three-minute-long video.

"We need strong leadership to restore American values. That is why I have decided to seek the Republican Party's nomination for the 2024 election," he added.

While praising fellow Republican candidate Donald Trump as the "greatest president of my lifetime", Singh said that "America needs more".

"It is time to move past outdated politicians of a bygone era," Singh said, calling himself the "only pure blood candidate for the President" as he never gave in to the Covid vaccinations.

"Even New Jersey’s Democrat Senate President labelled me as ‘Trump on steroids," he said in his video message.

Singh joins a crowded list of Republican candidates vying for presidency, which includes Trump, former New Jersey Governor Chris Christie, Florida Governer Ron DeSantis, former Vice President Mike Pence, Ramaswamy, Haley, Senator Tim Scott and businessman and pastor Ryan Binkley.

According to a recent Morning Consult poll, 59 per cent of voters support Trump, 16 per cent would vote for DeSantis, 8 per cent to Ramaswamy, 6 per cent to Pence, and 2 per cent to Scott.

Born to Indian immigrant parents, Singh is armed with a bachelor's degree in engineering from the New Jersey Institute of Technology in 2009.

Entering New Jersey politics in 2017 as a candidate for Governor, Singh finished third in the race, securing a meagre 9.8 per cent of the vote share.

He was awarded Aviation Ambassador in 2003 by the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics.