Saturday 30th of June 2007 Seeking a significant role in US politics, Indian Americans hailing from Andhra Pradesh will raise $1 million for the campaign of presidential candidate Hillary Clinton at a breakfast meeting in Washington on July 5.
Telugus settled in the US will raise the money at the breakfast with Clintons during the 16th conference of the Telugu Association of North America (TANA) at the Washington Convention Centre in Washington DC.
Former chief minister and Telugu Desam party president N. Chandrababu Naidu, Union Minister of State for Human Resources D. Purandwareswari, Major Industries Minister of Andhra Pradesh J. Geeta Reddy would be among the prominent Telugu personalities who would attend the fund raising breakfast.
About 300 families are expected to participate in the breakfast. Every participant at the million-dollar breakfast will have to pay a minimum of $1000 and a maximum of $4600.
K. Krishna Prasad, who is a sponsor for TANA's three-day biennial conference for the promotion of Telugu language told newsmen Friday that Telugus constitute 20 to 25 percent of the Indian Americans having voting rights. He added that 60 percent of 2.5 million Indian Americans have the right to vote.
Prasad said that after making significant contributions in educational, economic and social fields in the US during last four decades, Telugus are now trying to make their presence felt in US politics.
'The second generation Telugu Americans can become senators and governors as they are natural citizens of that country.
'The event will lay the first seeds of social embedment of Telugus for adapting the final vision of integration into American political system,' he said.
Michigan-based Prasad said TANA choose to support Clintons, considering their relationship with India in general and Andhra Pradesh in particular. Former US president Bill Clinton had visited Hyderabad in 2000.
'Supporting Mrs Clinton's candidature will augur well for India and Andhra Pradesh,' he said.
He believes that Indian Americans would play a crucial role in the US presidential elections and they have the ability to raise $10 million for Republicans and Democrats.
