US: Jindal, Haley may figure as Romney running mate

Indian-Americans -- Bobby Jindal and Nikky Haley -- are emerging as possible vice-presidential running mate of Mitt Romney, who is expected to bag the Republican Party's nomination for presidential polls.

However both Jindal, the governor of Louisiana, and Haley, the governor of South Carolina, have repeatedly denied that they are in the race for being considered as the vice-presidential running mate for Romney, who is now almost all set to bag the party's ticket to challenge incumbent President Barack Obama in the November presidential elections.

In its list of 10 possible running mates of Romney, CBS News named both Jindal and Haley. In an interview to the news channel, top Republican Senator, John McCain, said likely Republican presidential nominee Mitt Romney should consider Jindal.

"There are a number of candidates we have out there, Bobby Jindal. Obviously Marco Rubio is in the top tier, Chris Christie," McCain said.

"Two-term governor of Louisiana is considered a rising star within the Republican Party. The son of Indian immigrants, Jindal campaigned during his first campaign to be governor on rooting out political corruption and turning around a state budget heading to financial crisis.

"He reduced the deficit through spending cuts that includes reducing state employee pensions," CBS News said.

The first Indian-American to serve as governor, Jindal endorsed Rick Perry, the governor of neighbouring state of Texas, early in the campaign and has remained neutral since Perry dropped out.

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Currently the youngest governor in US and the first Indian-American woman to run a state, Haley garnered national attention during her campaign and former Alaska governor Sarah Palin endorsed her, it added.

Haley endorsed Mitt Romney before her state's primary in January but said she is not interested in serving as Romney's running mate, the news channel added.

"There are a number of candidates we have out there. Bobby Jindal. Mitch Daniels. We have a wealth of talent out there, and I'm sure that Mitt will make the right choice. Obviously, it's a touch decision," McCain said.

Four years ago Jindal was considered as a running mate of McCain. In an interview to local WWL channel, Louisiana State University SU Political Science Professor Robert Hogan said he wouldn't be surprised if Romney considered Jindal to help attract more conservatives.

Jindal has the conservative credentials that many Republicans are looking for, he added.

"His desire to make certain that taxes of any sort have not been imposed, the fact that he is very successfully attempting to change education," Hogan told the news channel.

"Most politicians in Mr Jindal's position are going to say they are only interested in the job they have right now," he explained.

"The fact is that if someone is asked to be vice president, it's very difficult to say 'no' to that," he added.

Politico also named both Jindal and Haley among possible vice presidential nominee. But both the Indian Americans are missing from the list of Roll Coll, a newspaper on the Capitol Hill.