South Carolina laps up Nikki Haley

It was the night of Nimrata Nikki Randhawa Haley as people chanted hysterically 'Haley, Haley' while drums and loud music proclaimed the changing times. South Carolina was thrilled.

As expected, Haley trounced her opponent Congressman Gresham Barrett by winning 65 percent of the votes in a hotly contested run-off in the Republican primary for South Carolina Governor. She now faces Vincent Sheheen, the Democratic candidate, in November and is expected to win.

It was spectacular for a state, which seceded from the union, when President Abraham Lincoln freed the slaves, now choosing an Indian American to lead the party.

It was also a night for the South Carolina womenfolk -- a woman winning the Republican primary for the governor for the first time.

Then it was a night for the Indian community as the local media highlighted the victory of an Indian-American woman in the run-off.

It was also a proud night for the Sikh community. It was Haley's family that arrived first on the stage before the victory speech. Haley's mother Raj was followed by her father Prof Ajit Randhawa, wearing a red turban.

Then came Haley, dressed in pink and looked like a schoolgirl at the graduation ceremony, accompanied by husband Michael Haley, daughter Rena, 10, and son Nalin, 8.

Current Governor and Haley's early mentor Mark Sanford, Attorney General Henry McMaster, who lost the primary and later endorsed her, too came for the victory party at the State Museum in the capital city of Columbia.  

In her speech, Haley said she felt humbled at the choice of the people and how they selected one who had no name/money.

Saying it was part of a movement to take back the government to the grassroots level, she promised to work for transparency in public life and accountability and help small business.

"This is a movement about government being open and accountable to the people. This is a movement that was about clear conservative ideas that just wasn't going to take any distractions," she said.

Though it is a great night the true victory will be in November, she politely reminded the people.

She began her speech thanking former presidential candidate Mitt Romney and former vice presidential candidate Sarah Palin, who endorsed her. It was Palin's support that made her the front-runner.

She said South Carolina is showing a way to the whole country and credited her victory to determination.

Governor Sanford told rediff.com that Haley is a strong woman and will be an excellent Governor.

"She believes in conservative principles and knows the aspirations of people," he said.

Asked about his future plans once he relinquishes the post in January, he said he is not sure, while indicating that the Almighty will decide it.

Harriet Coker, Haley's seventh-grade teacher at the Richard Carroll Middle School in Bamberg, was one of the attendees.

She said Haley was a wonderful student and enterprising child then.

"She was always Nikki. It is part of her name at that time also. Some people made issues about her name and religion. She converted not for any political reason, it was done after the marriage," she said.

Coker agreed that if she remained in the Sikh religion it would have been tougher to get elected as the state is very conservative.

She has no doubt about her chances to win in November. "Haley will be an outstanding Governor too," she said.

The state elected Democrats as late as in 1998. But people are upset with President Obama's policies and they find that what is being said and what is being done are different, she said.

Prof Ajit Randhawa-- from Amritsar -- said he is not upset that Haley and also her elder brother, who was a major in the US Army, converted to Christianity.

"Everyone realizes god in their own way. After all there is only one God," Randhawa said, who taught in the college for 49 years.

 He has written a book on religion titled Evolution of Faith and Religion.

"In her younger days, Nikki's ambition was to become the Mayor of Bamberg," Raj said.

Also Read:  Where it all began for Nikki Haley

'A conservative movement will sweep America'

Image: Nikki Haley speaks after her victory on Wednesday.

Photograph: Paresh Gandhi