Mayawati Raises Alarm Over Alleged Foreign Interference in Indian Elections, Questions $21 Million Donation for Voter Participation

Lucknow: Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) chief Mayawati on Monday expressed serious concerns over alleged foreign interference in Indian elections, following reports of USD 21 million being sent by a US agency to increase voter participation in India.

“The news from America is quite shocking as a massive amount of USD 21 million has reportedly been provided in the name of increasing voter participation in India. The people of the country must remain cautious and question whether this is interference in free and fair elections, and if so, who has been benefiting from it,” she stated in a press note issued by the party.

Mayawati’s remarks came after the US Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), led by billionaire Elon Musk, announced a series of expenditure cuts, including the cancellation of USD 21 million allocated for “voter turnout in India.” This came after the department revealed in a post on X on Saturday that a range of programs, including USD 486 million in grants to the Consortium for Elections and Political Process Strengthening, had been scrapped. The post highlighted that US taxpayer dollars were originally intended for the now-cancelled initiatives.