J.D. Vance and his wife Usha Chilukuri Vance celebrate as he is nominated for the office of Vice President in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. AFP

Former US President Donald Trump on Monday picked JD Vance, a first-time senator from Ohio, as his running mate and nominee for the Vice-President post.

JD Vance, 40 years younger to Trump, is making global headlines not just for his selection in the race for V-P but also for his Indian connection. His wife Usha Chilukuri Vance is the daughter of Indian immigrants to the US and brings with her a deep connection to India and also the legacy of Indian culture and values.

Usha Chilukuri Vance’s parents hail from Andhra Pradesh, who migrated to the United States decades ago. Born and brought up in the US, Usha holds an impressive educational background, having graduated from top-notch American institutes. She holds a Bachelor’s degree in History from Yale University and then pursued Master's in Philosophy from Cambridge University.

She also has a track record of a distinguished career, with professional engagements across multiple segments. She clerked for Supreme Court Chief Justice John Roberts.

Usha and JD Vance met at the Yale Law School and it was there that they developed a close affinity for each other. They got married in Kentucky in 2014 and together they have three children.

Usha also made some rare appearances along with her husband as the latter campaigned for the Ohio senator election in 2022.

In a 2017 interview, she told NBC News on how they met, "We were friends, and I liked that he was very diligent. He would show up at 9am appointments that I would set up for us to start working on the brief together."

JD Vance, in the same interview, praised Usha for unflinching faith and commitment in things that she believed.

"The thing that I remember most about Usha is just how completely forward and comfortable with herself she was. She is so defensive about the things that she really cared about,” Vance said in the interview.

With US Presidential elections slated for November this year, the campaign has already reached fever pitch. The US elections will unequivocally be watched and followed in India, given the likely Republican V-P nominee’s Indian connection.

Indo-Asian News Service