Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti is likely to be nominated as U.S. ambassador to India by President Biden, a person familiar with the vetting process said Wednesday. Biden, who has yet to announce any of his picks to fill ambassador posts, has been planning to roll out the list all at once, a strategic move that has allowed speculation to build around several likely nominees.

Mr. Garcetti, a co-chair for the Biden campaign, was considered for a Cabinet post, according to report but did not make it due to sexual harassment allegations against his former aide Rick Jacobs that came to light. Mr. Garcetti is now approaching the end (December 2022) of his second term as Mayor of the country’s second-largest city, a post he has held since 2013.

The U.S.-India relationship enjoys bipartisan support in the U.S. with ties in trade, defence and the COVID-19 response growing across the Trump and Biden administrations. The two countries have also had to navigate their relationship in the context of growing Chinese assertiveness and aggression. The next U.S. Ambassador to India will inherit these issues as well as having to work with India in other forums - such as the Quad. Meanwhile,  Joe  Biden is expected to send the Senate a number of Ambassadorial nominations next week.

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