In a revelation that could rival any political soap opera, the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) recently announced that it had cancelled a USAID-funded project worth $21 million, allegedly for voter turnout in India. The move naturally sparked outcry from India’s ruling BJP, which accused the Congress of weilding external influence in the country’s electoral process.
US President Donald Trump, addressing a crowd in Miami, echoed the outrage: “Why do we need to spend $21 million for voter turnout in India? Wow, $21 million! I guess they were trying to get somebody else elected.”
However, a diligent investigation conducted by an India-based news outlet revealed that the USAID had earmarked the funds not for India, but for Bangladesh.
A significant chunk ($13.4 million) was already spent on student engagement programmes and civic activities leading up to the country’s January 2024 elections. As the paper notes, it puts a question mark on the fairness and transparency of the elections.
Two USAID funds on DOGE’s list that were distributed through the Consortium for Elections and Political Process Strengthening (CEPPS), a Washington, DC-based organisation that specialises in “complex democracy, rights, and governance programming,” are at the heart of the controversy.
CEPPS, the report highlights, was supposed to receive $486 million from USAID. This corpus included $21 million for voter turnout in India.
The funds were divided among three CEPPS partner organisations: the International Foundation for Electoral Systems (IFES), the International Republican Institute (IRI), and the National Democratic Institute (NDI). Between them, they ran civic programs, youth engagement initiatives, and—according to critics—potentially problematic election monitoring missions.
With Bangladesh’s political landscape shifting, especially following the ouster of Sheikh Hasina in August 2024, the grant’s role in fostering political awareness has come under increased scrutiny.
In the grand tradition of global politics, it’s much easier to point fingers first and check facts later.
When the paper reached for comment, an official from India’s Ministry of External Affairs declined to respond. The Bangladesh High Commission in Delhi was more diplomatic, saying that USAID has historically been an important development partner but that “under President Trump’s new policy, the US government is re-evaluating USAID’s funding across the globe.”
Meanwhile, somewhere in Washington, a bureaucrat is probably seen facepalming in sheer embarrassment.
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