Saturday, September 23 2006 12:33 Hrs (IST) - World Time -

Washington: Five Indian Americans have qualified to run in the Nov 7 elections in the US for various legislative offices.

"Indian American and South Asian community's involvement in US mainstream politics will continue to grow," Clinton administration appointee Rajen Anand told India West, an ethnic Indian newspaper.

In Arizona, Democrat Rano Singh won her primary unopposed to contest the state treasurer's race.

In Minnesota, incumbent state Senator Satveer Chaudhary was elected unopposed in the Democratic primary.

A law student at the University of Maryland, Neil B. Sood, was elected unopposed in the Republican primary for the House of Delegates.

Kumar Barve, 43, easily won re-election from District 17. He has become the longest-serving elected Indian American official. He represents a district with a population of 110,000 in Montgomery County, Maryland.

In Maryland's District 42, newcomer Dilip Paliath, 35, an attorney, won the third highest votes to move on to the November elections.

"You know, with the population increasing and activism increasing, more people will be running, pretty soon it will not be news because it will be normal," Anand said.