Howdy, Modi: Prime Minister to address his biggest-ever US rally this weekend
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On September 22, Narendra Modi will address an estimated over 50,000 Indian-Americans at a massive event at the NRG Stadium in Houston, Texas.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi has attended several Indian community events around the world after he assumed office in 2014.
But "Howdy Modi" is unique. Not because of the sheer size of it, but also because of one high profile attendee.
The event at Houston on September 22 will be the largest gathering for an elected foreign leader other than the Pope and it will be a celebration of the cultures of India and the US.
The event which will be attended by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and US President Donald Trump will see the giant NRG stadium filled to the capacity.
More than 50,000 Indian-Americans from across the US have registered for the “Howdy, Modi! Shared Dreams, Bright Futures” event.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi will share the stage with American President Donald Trump. Both leaders will address the mega rally.
PM Modi had addressed more than 19 thousand people at New York's Madison Square Garden. Almost the same number of people had attended the event in San Jose in 2015. So, the crowd will be almost three times in this event.
More than 60 prominent lawmakers will also be in attendance.
Democratic candidate for the 2020 election — Tulsi Gabbard — will skip the event. She is the first Indian-origin woman candidate for an American presidential race. She sent out a video message — welcoming Prime Minister Modi to Houston.
NRG Stadium, formerly Reliant Stadium, is a multi-purpose stadium in Houston. The stadium is the home of the Houston Texans football team.
Prime Minister Modi will leave for Houston tonight. He is also scheduled to hold a roundtable meeting with the top executives of American energy companies.
A big announcement could be in store
Ahead of the big event — US President Donald Trump has said that he could announce something from the stage. Howdy Modi is an opportunity for US President Trump to win some support from the Indian community. The next presidential election in America is scheduled for 2020 in which the influential Indian-American community is expected to play a big role. Trump, a Republican, has already announced his candidature.
According to a 2018 survey, Indian Americas are much more disapproving of Trump — than the average Asian Americans.
This will be the third meeting between Modi and Trump this year. The previous two were on the sidelines of the G20 Summit in Japan in June and the G7 Summit in France in July.