Govt, US Embassy Clarify: No $21-Million USAID ‘Poll Grant’ in India

The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) has formally confirmed that the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) did not provide $21 million in funding for “voter turnout” activities in India, contrary to claims made earlier this year by the US Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) and repeated by President Donald Trump.

According to the Hindu, In a written reply to the Rajya Sabha on Thursday, the MEA cited a communication from the US Embassy, which clarified that USAID “did not receive or provide funding of $21 million for voter turnout in India from fiscal years 2014 to 2024, nor has it implemented any voter turnout-related activities in India.”

The controversy began after DOGE announced on February 16 that it had cancelled several USAID grants, including a supposed $21-million fund for voter turnout in India through the Consortium for Elections and Political Process Strengthening (CEPPS). Trump publicly amplified this claim multiple times, suggesting the funding was an attempt to “get somebody else elected.” The BJP, too, accused the Opposition Congress of being influenced by external forces.

According to Indin Express, however, records accessed earlier showed the disputed grant — tagged with Federal Award Identification Number 72038822LA00001 — was in fact sanctioned in July 2022 for Bangladesh’s “Amar Vote Amar (My Vote is Mine)” project. The programme was designed to encourage political and civic engagement among young voters ahead of Bangladesh’s January 2024 elections.

The MEA said, as cited by PTI, it had sought details from the US Embassy in February about all USAID-assisted projects in India over the past decade. In response, the embassy shared funding data in July, which confirmed no such voter turnout grant was allocated to India.

Adding another layer to the development, the US Embassy communicated to Indian authorities in late July that it planned to bring all USAID operations in India to a close by August 15, 2025. This closure, reiterated in an August 11 communication to the Department of Economic Affairs, would also terminate all seven Partnership Agreements with the Government of India.