Two Indian-Amercians vying for Congress from same New York seat

Two Indian-Americans from the Democratic party have thrown their hats in the ring for the same Congressional seat from New York in the US House of Representatives.

Omar Vaid and Mohan Radhakrishnan have announced to fight out the Democratic primary to earn the party's nomination for the November midterm general elections to defeat the Republican incumbent Congressman Don Donavan in New York's 11th Congressional District.

While New York is a heavily Democratic leaning State, the 11th Congressional District of late has emerged as a Republican stronghold. US President Donald Trump had won the seat in 2016. Both Vaid and Mohan seek to unseat Donavan this time. But before that they need to win the Democratic party primary for which currently more than half a dozen candidates are in the race. Son of two immigrant parents of Gujarati-Indian heritage, Vaid grew up as a Muslim in Illinois and Florida, according to his campaign website.

As a member of the Democratic Party, he believes diversity is an asset and that all voices must be included, it says. Vaid says that Trump has put the country on a path towards an "isolationist" foreign policy.

He is running on the platform of free-market platform, climate change and improving the transportation system instead of border wall.

labour union leader, Mohan, is a 27-year resident of Staten Island, New York and an active member of the Community Board 1 of Staten Island.

An eminent community leader, he is a member of the Staten Island Hindu Temple Board. "Our Democracy and country is going through a difficult time under the current administration and we should not let it go too far," he said. Currently there are four Indian-Americans in the US House of Representatives.