(Image source from: Politico)

The first Hindu lawmaker in the United States Congress Tulsi Gabbard is considering to run for the American presidency in 2020, according to sources near to her.

A distinguished Indian-American, Dr. Sampat Shivangi on Friday introduced the 37-year-old Tulsi Gabbard and said that she could be the next president of the United States in 2020. The short statement was marked by a standing ovation, in the presence of the four-term Congresswoman from Hawaii.

Tulsi Gabbard, a Democrat, who addressed the gathering, however, neither made it official or denied that she is running for president in 2020.

A conclusion on this could be taken before Christmas, which might not necessarily result in a formal proclamation as that could be delayed till the following year, people acquainted with her thought process told news agency PTI.

However, it is said that she and her team have softly been reaching out to expected donors, including a large number of Indian-Americans, and volunteers to build an amazing campaign for her 2020 run.

Given that Tulsi Gabbard is extremely popular among Indian-Americans, a constituency she has raised from the very beginning of her political carrier, it is but natural that her team has quietly started reaching out to this community, which is considered as the affluent ethnic group after the Jewish-Americans. And in many critical states, Indian-Americans can play a crucial role in her electoral chances.

Once Tulsi Gabbard declares her presidential bid she would be the first Hindu candidate ever from a major political party to announce to get into the race for White House. And if elected in 2020, she could be the youngest ever and the first woman to be elected as the U.S. president.

Earlier this week Gabbard was elected for the fourth term for the U.S. House of Representatives.

Primarily, Dr. Shivangi is a Republican and has been the party's representative for the past several presidential conventions. However, he had held fundraisers for Gabbard when she ran for the Congress for the first time in 2012. She was the first U.S. lawmaker to take her oath on Bhagwat Gita.

A former vice chairman of the Democratic National Committee, Gabbard currently serves on powerful House Armed Services Committee and House Foreign Affairs Committee. She is as well the Democratic Co-Chair of the Congressional India Caucus.

"She has been a fresh voice in the Democratic Party, with her support for U.S.-India relations, her opposition to the war in Iraq, her opposition to arms sales to Saudi Arabia and her more recent vigorous opposition to among the rebels in Syria," Dr. Shivangi said.

The 2020 presidential primary cycle is scheduled to start from the Iowa Caucuses on February 3, 2020, ensued by the New Hampshire Primary on February 11, Nevada caucus of February 15 and South Carolina on February 22. Team Tulsi has been reaching out to masses in these four States.

President Donald Trump is all geared up to seek his re-election in 2020, none of the Democratic candidates have announced their bid up to now. The Democratic race is expected to be crowded by the summer of 2019.

Among those Democrats speculated to run for the 2020 primaries include former vice president Joe Biden, Senators Elizabeth Warren, Kirsten Gillibrand, Amy Klobuchar, Tim Kaine, and Indian-origin Senator Kamala Harris.

Amid the insistence of Trump headlines and concentration on higher-profile candidates, Gabbard has been quietly making the traditional moves of a presidential candidate. She recently visited Iowa, where locals advised her to run for president, according to the Iowa City Press-Citizen.

-Sowmya Sangam