US President Donald Trump on Tuesday cited India’s electoral system and Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar while renewing his push for mandatory photo identification for voters in the United States.
Trump’s remarks, however, triggered a political slugfest between the BJP and Congress in India, with the BJP hailing the “world’s largest demorcracy” while the Congress argued that elections in India should also be conducted using ballot papers.
What Trump Said?
In a post on Truth Social, Trump claimed that CEC Gyanesh Kumar had recently asked the US administration how elections could be conducted without valid photo identification.
“Earlier this month, India’s Chief Election Commissioner, Gyanesh Kumar, asked our Administration — How can you have Elections in the US without a valid Photo ID?” Trump wrote.
Trump also referred to India’s 2024 Lok Sabha election, claiming that it involved 646 million voters and that less than 1% voted by mail. He highlighted India’s requirement for voters to have valid photo identification.
“We need to pass THE SAVE AMERICA ACT, now!” Trump said, referring to legislation aimed at tightening voter registration and identification requirements in US federal elections.
BJP Hails Trump’s Remarks
BJP leader Rajeev Chandrasekhar welcomed Trump’s comments, arguing that India’s electoral system was being seen as an example by the world’s wealthiest democracy.
“Worlds largest democracy India, is inspiring worlds wealthiest democracy USA — on how only legal citizens should vote in a Democracy,” Chandrasekhar said in a post on X.
Worlds largest democracy India, is inspiring worlds wealthiest democracy USA – on how only legal citizens should vote in a Democracy.
Democracy works only if its powered by its citizens alone.
For its people, by its people and of its people #Democracy
🇮🇳🇺🇲 @ECISVEEP… pic.twitter.com/Sz8y6KGKqL
— Rajeev Chandrasekhar 🇮🇳 (@RajeevRC_X) August 18, 2026
He added that democracy works only when it is “powered by its citizens alone”.
Congress Hits Back
Congress leader Udit Raj, however, took a different view of Trump’s comments and argued that elections in India should also be conducted using ballot papers.
“Elections in India should also be held using ballot papers,” Raj said.
He argued that Trump’s praise for India’s voter ID system had received significant attention in Indian media, despite the fact that voter identification has been part of India’s electoral system for a long time.
भारत में भी चुनाव बैलट पेपर से हो ।
ट्रम्प ने भारत की चुनावी व्यवस्था, जैसे वोटर आईडी कार्ड, की प्रशंसा की तो गोदी मीडिया ने इसे बड़ी खबर बना दिया। जबकि ट्रम्प को शायद यह नहीं पता कि भारत में यह व्यवस्था बहुत पहले से लागू है।लेकिन जब डोनाल्ड ट्रम्प, एलन मस्क और तुलसी गबार्ड ने…
— Dr. Udit Raj (@Dr_Uditraj) August 18, 2026
Raj also referred to comments by Trump, Elon Musk and Tulsi Gabbard in favour of ballot-paper elections and questioned why similar attention was not given to those remarks.
“When Donald Trump, Elon Musk, and Tulsi Gabbard strongly advocated for conducting elections using ballot papers, why did the same media stay silent? Even though electronic voting in America is used only in a limited manner,” he said.
