He was always a long-shot candidate, but if the polls are any guide, Sikh millionaire Chirinjeev Kathuria’s groundbreaking run for the US Senate could come to an abrupt halt next week. A political novice with deep pockets and a compelling biography, the 39-year-old son of Indian immigrants has garnered global media coverage for his bid to become the first South asian to be elected to the US Senate.But the ‘‘turban and beard’’ candidate has never really caught on with the voters in the midwestern state of Illinois, barely registering in published polls.Nevertheless, with just 72 hours to go to until a sudden death qualifying round on Tuesday, when voters will whittle the field of 15 candidates down to just two, Kathuria is upbeat about his chances.‘‘Even to this day, I believe I am going to win,’’ said Kathuria, a Republican. ‘‘If I can turn out enough of the minority vote and the independent vote, I can get the numbers I need.’’During a brief appearance at a Muslim community centre here on Wednesday, the 39-year-old trawled for votes, playing up his experience as the child of an immigrant and pledging to work to protect their civil rights.‘‘I know what you go through every day with racial profiling,’’ he said. Of the eight Republican candidates vying for the seat, ‘‘I have been the most outspoken on the Patriot Act. What better person to represent your interests?’’Kathuria followed that with a quick recap of his ‘‘American dream’’ speech and then raced off to fundraiser in the suburbs with party bigwigs. A businessman whose net worth is said to be between $50 million and $100 million, Kathuria is the son of Indian immigrants who came to Chicago in the 1960s. With no political record to speak of, and with several other millionaires in the race who are bankrolling themselves to varying degrees, Kathuria has focused on his Sikh background and his tale of immigrant success to distinguish himself from the pack.And in addition to his striking physical appearance, he has quite a resume, with degrees from two of the United States’ most prestigious universities — Brown and Stanford.As an entrepreneur, he made money investing in a UK internet service provider. He and a group of partners made a $55,000 investment in X-stream Networks Inc. during the hi-tech boom. The company later sold for $75 million dollars, providing a handsome return for Kathuria and his co-investors.All of this is part and parcel of his stump speech, which he concludes this night by saying: ‘‘This will probably be the only time when the Muslim and South Asian community can put a senator into office.’’The message may resonate with some, but some Muslims in the audience frankly said they could not vote for a Republican candidate at this time. Many immigrants, particularly those of Muslim origin, feel bruised by the Republican administration’s post-September 11 crackdown on immigrants. — (PTI)
