Although, Democrat Kamala Harris does not appear to be winning the United States presidential election, she will make a comeback as she is a fighter, said residents of Thulasendrapuram, the village of her maternal ancestors, on Wednesday.
Since morning, locals were glued to television screens, monitoring election results, and many checked trends on media websites. Several residents also visited the Sri Dharma Sastha Perumal temple to pray for Harris's victory.
However, as the day progressed, it became apparent that former U S president Donald Trump was leading the race, edging out his Democratic rival Kamala Harris, in an election that virtually divided America into two camps.
"We were hoping for her victory and had planned celebrations bigger than Deepavali. We made arrangements to burst firecrackers, distribute sweets, offer temple pujas, and host a community lunch," J Sudhakar, DMK Tiruvarur district representative and Thulasendrapuram village leader, told PTI.
"But success and failure are part of life. It was a tough fight, and you must admire her fighting spirit. She is a fighter and will make a comeback," he added.
Other villagers shared similar sentiments, expressing confidence that Harris would continue her journey as a fighter and someday become the US president, even if it didn't happen this time.
Sudhakar noted that everyone in the village had hoped Harris, whose maternal ancestors hailed from Thulasendrapuram, would become the first woman US president.
"We hope she will win next time and visit our village. When that day comes, we will give her a grand reception. Meanwhile, we extend our best wishes to Donald Trump and hope he fosters good relations with India and promotes global peace," Sudhakar added.
