indica News Bureau-
Indian-origin Congressional candidate Jay Vaingakar is facing intense online backlash after a video showed him speaking in Hindi to New Jersey’s South Asian community. The controversy was sparked when American commentator Mehek Cooke reacted to the clip on X.
Cooke accused Vaingakar of failing to represent the broader American electorate and argued that the candidate was “campaigning for their replacements” rather than for the country as a whole. The critique expanded as other influencers joined the fray.
American influencer Priya Patel remarked, “This is what happens when people don’t assimilate,” while another user compared Vaingakar’s tone to that of a colonial-era officer. Another user noted, “Ad for a congressional candidate in NJ. Not a word of English.” Skeptics online argued that using a foreign language to secure a specific demographic suggests that immigration policy has gone off the rails, “If you have to do your entire video in a foreign language to capture a foreign demographic who don’t speak English but you know will vote for you because you’re one of them, you know immigration has gone right off the rails.”
Despite the social media storm, Vaingakar’s campaign reported significant financial gains. The 28-year-old raised nearly $110,000 in the first quarter of 2026, bringing his total campaign fund to over $260,000.
Vaingakar’s team pointed out that the contributions come exclusively from grassroots supporters. “Our message is connecting with voters,” Vaingakar stated, emphasizing that his campaign remains accountable to the public rather than corporate PACs or special interest groups.
His team said most of the contributions came from grassroots supporters, with no money from corporate political action committees or special interest groups. Vaingakar said this shows that his message is connecting with voters and that his campaign is focused on accountability to the public.
Before entering the race for New Jersey’s 12th Congressional District, Vaingakar served as a Special Advisor in the U.S. Department of Energy under the Biden administration. His tenure focused on clean energy policy, efficiency improvements, and emission reductions.
Raised in New Jersey by Indian immigrant parents, Vaingakar previously worked as a community organizer dedicated to expanding access to affordable energy.
