Pia Dandiya, a new face in the samosa caucus

File photo of Pia Dandiya. The landslide victory of Democrats in the U.S. to secure the Congress after the midterms on Tuesday (November 4, 2026) also dealt a blow to the anti-immigrant rhetoric and increasing polarisation of along the lines of gender and race pushed by President Donald Trump and his MAGA crowd. The dissatisfaction with the administration over rising living costs and the Iran war was so severe that the Democrats were able to overcome institutional measures to hold ground by the Republicans including gerrymandering. The victory of Democrat Pia Dandiya from the newly rearranged 22nd Congressional District in Florida stands a testament to this.The first generation Indian-American became the first South Asian to represent the State in the House of Representatives, and only the second South Asian woman ever to reach the House, and did so from a district which was carved out earlier this year as Republicans holding power in the State sought to secure more seats in the Congress for the midterms. A former educator and one of the youngest school principals in the U.S., Ms. Dandiya joins the ‘samosa caucus’ at the age of 39 with years of experience running welfare programmes for youth and fellowship stints under previous national administrations. Published - November 05, 2026 09:05 am IST