Bhubaneswar: An Odia-origin IT professional has entered the political arena in the United States, contesting the mayoral election in Milpitas, a prominent Silicon Valley city in California. Santosh Sahu is among the candidates in the election scheduled for Tuesday.
Having lived in the US for nearly two decades, Sahu has decided to leverage his professional and business experience to improve the city where he resides. His campaign centres on better governance, financial discipline, transparency, improved public services and addressing emerging civic challenges.
Speaking to local television channels, Sahu outlined his election agenda, political ambitions and the challenges of contesting an election as an Indian-origin candidate.
A key issue he has raised is the proposed development of Artificial Intelligence (AI) data centres, which require huge quantities of electricity and water. He believes the city must frame clear policies and assess their long-term environmental and infrastructure implications before approving such projects.
He has also called for appropriate regulations governing surveillance cameras and licence plate recognition systems to protect residents’ privacy.
Sahu is reportedly facing three opponents, including the incumbent mayor. Criticising the existing administration for continuing with similar policies over the past eight to 12 years, he said issues, “Such as traffic congestion, rising living costs and urban development needed fresh attention.”
Born and educated in Odisha, Sahu built his professional career in the US after completing his studies. He has worked with several major IT companies before venturing into politics.
He believes his experience in the technology sector and business can help identify practical solutions to the city’s civic and governance challenges.
Despite pursuing his political ambitions thousands of miles away from his homeland, Sahu remains proud of his Indian identity and Odisha roots.
If elected, he hopes to continue serving the city and has not ruled out seeking a second term. However, his future political plans, he said, would depend on the election outcome and his experience in office.
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