Odia-origin IT professional Santosh Sahu contests for mayor in Milpitas, California
Sahu is challenging three opponents, including the incumbent mayor, in a nonpartisan race for the Silicon Valley city.
Santosh Sahu, an IT professional and technology executive of Odia origin, has entered the political arena in the United States to contest the mayoral election in Milpitas, California. According to reports from Pragativadi, OTV, and Odisha Bytes, voting for the position is scheduled for Tuesday, November 3.
Sahu, who has lived in the United States for nearly two decades after being educated in Odisha, is facing three opponents, including the incumbent mayor, Carmen Montano. He has criticised the current administration for following the same policies for the last 8 to 12 years.
His campaign focuses on several key issues, including fiscal transparency, public services, and addressing traffic congestion and rising living costs. Sahu has also proposed regulations for Artificial Intelligence (AI) data centres, noting that such facilities require significant amounts of water and electricity.
The candidate is advocating for privacy protections regarding automated municipal surveillance, such as street monitoring cameras and license plate recognition systems. He aims to apply his 20 years of experience as a tech entrepreneur to improve urban planning and municipal governance.
Sahu stated that his business background provides insights into organisational efficiency that he hopes to use in public service. He mentioned that his subsequent political path will be determined by the election outcome and his progress during an initial term.