Eric Garcetti is confirmed as new US Ambassador to India

The Senate confirmed the former mayor of Los Angeles, Eric Garcetti, to be the US ambassador to India and ending the two-year wait.

Garcetti won the mandate by a vote of 52 to 42, a major victory for US President Joe Biden as well, who stuck by his political ally in the face of the allegations and the prolonged process that has left the world's most populous democracies without US representatives.

After the result, Garcetti said in a statement, "I'm thrilled with today's outcome, which was a decisive and bipartisan decision to fill a critical post that has been vacant for far too long. Now the hard work begins."
"I'm deeply grateful to President Biden and the White House for the confidence and support throughout this process, and to all Senators on both sides of the aisle - whether they voted for me or not - for their thoughtful consideration. I'm ready and eager to begin my service representing our critical interests in India," he added.

Nearly two years after President Joe Biden tapped him to become US ambassador to India, Eric Garcetti was confined for the post by the US Senate on March 15, amid questions about support from his own party and fallout from a sexual harassment scandal involving a former top adviser.

The Senate voted 52-42 advancing the former Los Angeles mayor's nomination that caps off months of limbo for Garcetti.

US President Joe Biden first nominated Garcetti to become ambassador to India in July 2021, and the Foreign Relations Committee initially signed off on him in January 2022.

But his nomination has been in limbo for a year following allegations that Garcetti knew about sexual misconduct that one of his former top advisers committed and did not take any action to stop it, reported The Hill.

(ANI)