Hyderabadi to co-chair Iowa Republican Party

City-born Indian-American businessman Gopal TK Krishna has been elected co-chairman of the Republican Party of Iowa state, USA. Gopal is a successful businessman in the US with a background in electrical engineering. Krishna is a graduate of the Methodist Boys Higher Secondary School. He has a bachelor’s degree in electrical engineering from Osmania University.

Gopal emigrated to the US in 1969 and received three masters degrees -- Master of Science in Electrical Engineering from University of Kansas in Lawrence, Master of Business Administration degree from Drake University in Des Moines and Master of Science degree in Sanitary Engineering from Iowa State University in Ames city. He is the founder and president of Krishna Engineering Consultants.

Gopal has a long history of working for Republican causes and campaigns. He has been elected seven times to the Republican state central committee, including serving as chair of the budget and organisation committees.

"I have been, and am a Republican for all Republicans. I ran because I don't want to wait until the primary elections to promote unity," he said after his election.

"I want to continue to increase our party's voter registration advantage and participation in the forthcoming elections. I look forward to working with Republican National Committee chairman Reince Priebus to advance the growth and opportunity project, work to reach out to minorities and bring new people into our Republican Party," he said.

"As long as I am co-chairman of the Republican Party of Iowa, outreach to all minority communities will be a priority," Krishna said.

He ensured that the party platform contained extremely India-friendly language. Playing the game with dexterity, he called in his chips — his long years of work for the party — to have the manifesto declare India a “geopolitical ally and a strategic trading partner” of the United States.

Krishna, residing in the key state of Iowa, declares confidently, “All roads to the White House go via Iowa.” The largely agricultural state is seen as a barometer of national sentiment where presidential hopefuls spend weeks campaigning. Iowa is the first state to hold a “caucus” — a primary election to choose a party’s nominee — and a strong caucus showing sends a message to party leaders.

He has been renowned for pushing pro-India language into the current party platform. Apart from it he had also started a scholarship at Osmania University for poor students.