Bobby Jindal mulling presidential run; to decide after November polls

Washington, Sep 17: Indian-American Louisiana Governor Bobby Jindal has for the first time acknowledged that he is considering a 2016 presidential run and will make a decision on it after the November Congressional polls.

Republican Party member Jindal has said he is thinking and praying about running for presidency in 2016. Though his name did not garner much enthusiasm in a new CNN/ORC poll of GOP presidential possibles in New Hampshire, Jindal said he will make his decision after the November Congressional elections.

"If I were to decide to run for 2016, it would have nothing to do with polls or fundraising," he was quoted as saying by the Christian Science Monitor.

Jindal said his decision-making process would be much like the ones he used in deciding to run in other races –- for Louisiana Governor in 2003, which he lost, for the US House in 2004 and again for the Governorship in 2007 which he won and was overwhelmingly re-elected in 2011. The determining questions, he said, are, "Do I think I can make a difference, do I think I have something unique to offer?"

On his possible presidential bid, Jindal touted the progress that Louisiana has made while he has been the Governor. The youngest governor at the time in the United States when he was elected, Jindal said that he would not be dissuaded by the recent CNN poll numbers showing him trailing badly among New Hampshire Republicans.

Only 3 per cent of New Hampshire Republican primary voters backed him in CNN's September 8-11 survey. The Governor finished at the bottom of a field of 11 potential presidential candidates.

"I think at this point polls are measuring name ID. The first time I ran for office, I was ... polling within the margin of error, which means I was at zero," he was quoted as saying by CNN.

"There's no reason to be coy. I am thinking, I am praying about whether I'll run in 2016," he added.

PTI