WESTLAND, Mich. (Diya TV) — Hundreds of South Asian residents gathered in Westland on Oct. 30 for “Light Up the Vote,” a Diwali rally that combined a cultural celebration with a final push to turn out voters before Michigan’s Nov. 3 election.
The Impact Fund, the political arm of Indian American Impact, and the student-led South Asian civic group SAATH organized the event. Democratic Senate nominee Abdul El-Sayed joined Michigan Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson, the party’s gubernatorial nominee; state House Democratic Leader Ranjeev Puri; Ann Arbor City Council member Ayesha Ghazi Edwin; and Cincinnati Mayor Aftab Pureval. Attendees garlanded the officials and joined them in lighting a diya, or oil lamp. The program also included a University of Michigan South Asian dance troupe, a vendor market and a children’s area.
The organizers tied the festival’s symbolism directly to the ballot. Puri told attendees that voting could help decide the U.S. Senate race, the governor’s contest and control of the state House. Benson spoke about jobs and household finances. El-Sayed urged people to vote and said the festival’s message of light could unite families across communities…