US President Donald Trump’s claim that $21 million was spent to boost voter turnout in India’s elections has sparked a political controversy in the country.
Trump made the comment shortly after a team led by Elon Musk revealed it had canceled the payout as part of a broader crackdown on the US agency providing foreign aid. The governing Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in India called the funding an act of “external interference” and accused the opposition Congress party of seeking this intervention.
The Congress party denied the accusation, dismissing Trump’s claim as “nonsensical.” The US has yet to provide any evidence to support the claim.
India’s foreign ministry expressed concern, with spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal calling the remarks “deeply troubling” and stating that it was “premature” to make any public statements, as authorities were investigating the matter.
Trump’s administration has worked on reducing federal spending, including creating the Department of Government Efficiency (Doge), led by Musk, to slash jobs and save taxpayer money. Musk’s latest actions involved canceling funds for several projects, including $486 million allocated to the “Consortium for Elections and Political Process Strengthening.” Among these cuts were $21 million for voter turnout in India and $22 million for political processes in Moldova.
Trump defended the cuts, noting that India has significant resources and is among the highest-taxing nations. He also questioned the $21 million spent on “India’s voter turnout.” His comments came a week after Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s first Washington visit during Trump’s second term, where the two leaders discussed military sales, energy exports, and a potential trade deal.
The controversy escalated when BJP leader Amit Malviya shared a clip of Congress leader Rahul Gandhi speaking in London, suggesting that major democracies, like the US and Europe, were unaware of India’s democratic decline. Malviya accused Gandhi of urging foreign powers to intervene in India’s internal matters. Gandhi’s party denied the allegations and called for a report on USAID’s long-standing support of India’s governmental and non-governmental institutions.
Regarding the $21 million claim, there has been no confirmation from either Doge or Trump’s administration that USAID actually provided the funds. India’s election commission has not responded, but former election chief SY Qureshi denied receiving such funding during his tenure from 2010 to 2012. Malviya had earlier suggested that a 2012 agreement, under Qureshi’s leadership, had linked India’s election panel to a group funded by USAID to support voter turnout. Qureshi rejected this as “malicious,” clarifying that the agreement imposed no financial or legal obligations.
An investigative report by the Indian Express revealed that the $21 million was actually allocated for Bangladesh, not India, for a project set to run until July 2025, with $13.4 million already spent.
