Desi Talk

www.desitalk.com – that’s all you need to know 4 CITY VIEWS April 3, 2026 Pennsylvania Assemblyman Arvind Venkat May Be Assured Of Re-Election November 3 I ndian American Democratic Assemblyman Ar- vind Venkat is a shoe-in for a second term in the Pennsylvania State legislature following a court’s dismissal of his rival’s candidature. On March 23, 2026, Commonwealth Court Judge Michael Wojcik ruled that Venkat’s potential GOP op- ponent Ehab Akkary, did not meet residency require- ments, a ruling that Akkary has made known he will not challenge, according to a 90.5WESA report. “Rules are rules. We support Rep. Venkat whether he has an opponent or not. He is a great public servant for HD30,” the Allegheny County Democratic Committee posted on Facebook. First elected in 2022, Venkat, a doctor, has been popular in his District 30 from the time he entered the political arena from the Emergency Room. Venkat declared his re-election bid two months ago for the Democratic primary which is scheduled for May 19. For now, he has no Democratic challengers. The Indian American’s level of popularity makes it unlikely he will have any challengers from his own party. The April 2, 2024, Democratic primary gave Venkat an unqualified 98.6 percent. He went on to win his first term with 54.3 percent of the vote to his Republican opponent NathanWolfe’s 44 percent. So far, there is no other Republican registered to oppose Venkat’s bid. Though the Democrats are a majority in the Pennsyl- vania State Assembly, the Democrats are not taking any chances and have declared the Pennsylvania House elections as one of five 2026 battlegrounds. This desig- nationation may be the result of reports that Republi- can voter registration was closing the gap between the GOP and Democrats. However, though all 203 House seats are up for election, Venkat may be among the lucky ones, as the registration date for candidates ended March 10. This March25, Venkat opened State Assembly pro- ceedinds with an invocation from the Upanishads. “Today I had the honor of offering the opening invocation before the State House from the Isha Upanishad, which ia a Sanskrit Hindu text that delves into the knowledge of the self,” he posted on X with the video. Venkat graduated from Harvard University from where he also did his Master’s in the History of Medi- cine. He earned his medical degree fromYale. Prior to his political life, Venkat served for more than 18 years in the Allegheny Health Network, first as Director of Integrated Ethics and then as Attending Physician and Core Faculty in the Department of Emergency Medicine. He has also served on the board of the American College of Emergency Physicians. By a StaffWriter PHOTO: INSTAGRAM @VENKATFORPA Campaign poster for PA Assemblyman Arvind Venkat. Hundreds Join 38th Phagwah Parade In Queens, Assembly Member Rajkumar Portrays Kali T he 38th Annual Phagwah Parade in Richmond Hill, Queens, New York, witnessed Assembly Member Jenifer Rajkumar dressed in a red traditional dress, with a crown on her head, a trishul or trident in her right hand, and with the left side of her face painted dark. This year, the atmosphere was livelier than ever according to participants, fea- turing vibrant colors, music, and food. Kali, the Hindu goddess, is known to be benevolent, but furious if witnessing a wrong, bringing out the dark fury of her which makes her devotees worship her but also fear her. Kali in Indian theology represents the female power of the uni- verse, denoting the strength and power of any woman. Rajkumar adopted the form of Goddess Kali to embody “fierce,” “powerful” divine feminine energy and the triumph of good over evil, as she had said in a previous post. Earlier, as part of theWomen’s History Month, she had hosted theWomen’s Em- powerment Celebration atWoodhaven’s American Legion Post 118 on Saturday, March 28, honoring female community leaders and trailblazers in south Queens, including the late Assembly Member Catherine Nolan. Rajkumar has become a regular pres- ence at the Phagwah parade, with com- munity members engaging heavily with her, such as when she attended alongside officials like Senator Chuck Schumer. This year she attracted even more people desir- ing to meet her. Phagwah (Holi) is a major celebra- tion of Hindu culture, marking the beginning of spring and the triumph of good over evil. The Phagwah parade is a major cultural event in Queens, celebrating diversity and the Indo-Caribbean com- munity. Like every year for the past 37 years, the parade was a grand occasion bringing thousands of people from the tristate area together for a cultural celebration of the Holi festival. Beginning at Liberty Avenue and 133rd Street, the parade ran west on Liberty Avenue, north on 124th Street, east on 97th Avenue and south to 125th Street. Several floats were featured during the parade, with some featuring dancing participants and Caribbean music. People waited on the sidewalks with children and families and friends to wit- ness the parade of bands, groups and floats marching down in Richmond Hill, known to NewYorkers as Little Guyana. Mayor Mamdani was the Grand Marshall for this year’s parade and walked with it, joining people playing Holi, and participating in the color throwing. Thanking the organizers of the parade for their persistent hard work, Mamdani said, “Thank you to everyone who is here, because today is a celebration of color, of joy, of life.” After the parade, Mamdani’s post on Facebook said: The 38th Annual Phagwah Parade was livelier than ever—NewYork City is definitely ready to welcome Spring. Queens Borough President Donovan Richards was also part of the parade along with Mamdani. The parade culminated at Phil Rizzuto Park, where attendees enjoyed live music, cultural performances and family-friendly activities. By Archana Adalja PHOTO:A STILL FROM AYOUTUBEVIDEO /VIDEOGRAB PHOTO:A STILL FROM AYOUTUBEVIDEO /VIDEOGRAB PHOTO:COURTESY JENIFER RAJKUMAR Members of a group marching down the Liberty Avenue in Queens at the 2026 Phagwah Parade. Assembly Member Jenifer Rajkumar poses for a photo with a group of young dancers at the 2026 Phagwah Parade. Children participating in the Phagwah Parade and sidewalks full of curious crowds