Trump administration's DOGE cancelled USAID funding initially thought to be for India's voter turnout, but investigation reveals it was actually meant for Bangladesh.
By Aniket Chakraborty
Feb 22, 2025
The disputed $21 million fund had already disbursed $13.4 million for political and civic engagement among Bangladesh students before their January 2024 elections.
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CEPPS (Consortium for Elections and Political Process Strengthening) was supposed to receive $486 million in total USAID funding, with specific allocations for different projects.
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US federal spending data shows no USAID funded CEPPS projects in India since 2008, contrary to recent claims.
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The project was initially called 'Amar Vote Amar' (My Vote is Mine) in July 2022, later modified to 'USAID's Naagorik (Citizen) Program' in November 2022.
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Trump recently claimed "they were trying to get somebody else elected" regarding the supposed India funding, adding fuel to political controversies.
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The funding was split between three organizations: International Foundation for Electoral Systems (IFES), International Republican Institute (IRI), and National Democratic Institute (NDI).
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BJP's Amit Malviya raised concerns about a 2012 MoU between Election Commission of India and IFES, linking it to George Soros's Open Society Foundation.
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Congress dismissed Trump's claims as "nonsensical" but demanded a white paper on all USAID support in India over the decades.
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The investigation by Indian Express traced the actual funding to Bangladesh through Federal Award Identification Number 72038822LA00001.