India, Nov. 5 -- Democrat Abdul El-Sayed's victory in Michigan's US Senate race has brought renewed attention to his Indian connection, with the senator-elect describing himself as an "honorary Indian" and joking that he might be "more Indian than Arab".

El-Sayed, whose wife Sarah Jukaku comes from an Indian-origin family with roots in Bhatkal, Karnataka, spoke about his connection to India in a podcast interview from two months ago.

Reflecting on his experience of visiting the country, he said he had come to appreciate the patience ingrained in Indian culture.

"I'm an honorary Indian. There is a patience to Indian culture that I appreciated only when I went to India. You're surrounded by a billion people. Nothing gets done quickly," h...