Patna: Kamla Persad-Bissessar, leader of the United National Congress (UNC), is poised to become Prime Minister of Trinidad and Tobago once again following her party’s decisive victory in the general elections held on April 28.
Persad-Bissessar’s UNC won 25 out of 41 seats in the country’s parliament, defeating the ruling People’s National Movement led by Stuart Young. The outcome marks a political comeback for Persad-Bissessar, who previously served as Prime Minister from 2010 to 2015.
Hailing from Bhelpur village in Bihar’s Buxar district, Persad-Bissessar’s ancestral roots have long been a point of pride in India. Her father, Ram Lakhan Mishra, migrated from Bihar to Trinidad and Tobago as an indentured labourer and eventually settled there. Despite her global stature, Persad-Bissessar has maintained close ties with her Indian heritage and even visited her ancestral village in 2012.
Celebrations broke out in Buxar following news of her victory, with local leaders hailing the achievement as a moment of honour for Bihar. India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi congratulated her on social media, expressing hope for stronger ties between the two countries. “Hearty congratulations to MP Kamla Persad-Bissessar on your victory in the election,” Modi wrote. “Our old and family relations with Trinidad and Tobago are very special to us. I look forward to working with you for the welfare and progress of both countries.”
Bihar’s Deputy Chief Minister Samrat Choudhary also extended his greetings, calling her “Bihar’s daughter” and noting that her leadership would further enhance diplomatic relations between India and the Caribbean nation.
Trinidad and Tobago, a twin-island country in the Caribbean, functions under a parliamentary democracy and has a sizable population of Indian origin due to historical migration during British colonial rule.
