Indian Americans Deliver Historic Vote Swing in Edison, Taste of Bengal Opens on Oak Tree Road
Edison's Indian American community has been asserting itself on multiple fronts — from the ballot box to Oak Tree Road's growing restaurant corridor. In the 2025 New Jersey governor's race, Indian American voters in Edison's District 78 produced a dramatic 107-point precinct swing, making a decisive contribution to Mikie Sherrill's historic victory. That electoral momentum sits alongside a community continuing to build out its cultural and culinary identity: Taste of Bengal opened its first New Jersey brick-and-mortar location on Oak Tree Road in August 2026, bringing Kolkata-style and Bangladeshi cuisine to the township, while the annual Diwali Festival marked its fourth year in October 2025 with a sponsored drone show and fireworks at Papaianni Park.
🗳️ Indian American Voters Reshape New Jersey's 2025 Governor's Race
The 2025 New Jersey governor's race brought an unprecedented shift in the state's Indian American political landscape. Mikie Sherrill became only the second woman elected governor of New Jersey, but the more telling story was the outsized role Edison's Indian American community played in her victory. In Edison's District 78 — the heart of the Indian shopping corridor along Oak Tree Road — the precinct swung a staggering 107 points, moving from plus-30 for Trump in the previous cycle to plus-76 for Sherrill. Middlesex County, home to the highest concentration of Indian Americans in the United States, recorded a 13-percent increase in voter turnout compared to the 2021 governor's race, and Sherrill's margin there expanded from plus-9 to plus-25. In Parsippany, where Indian Americans make up more than a quarter of the population, Sherrill won by a 27-point margin, helping carry Morris County. That same night, Diya Patel, a first-time Gen Z candidate, was elected to the Parsippany town council, adding a local milestone to a broader wave. The results signal that Indian Americans in New Jersey are moving from participants in civic life to decisive influencers of its outcomes. [5]
🍛 Taste of Bengal Opens First New Jersey Location on Oak Tree Road
Taste of Bengal, an Indian and Bangladeshi restaurant specializing in Kolkata-style and Bangladeshi cuisine, held its grand opening at 1528 Oak Tree Road in Edison on August 1 and 2, 2026, from 12:00 PM to 11:00 PM each day. The Edison location is the restaurant's third nationwide and its first physical presence in New Jersey; other locations operate in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, and Charlotte, North Carolina. Before opening the Edison storefront, Taste of Bengal had already built a following in New Jersey through drop-off food service reaching Princeton, North Brunswick, Bridgewater, Harrison, and Edison. The menu centers on dishes such as Kolkata Biryani, Egg Chicken Roll, Mughlai Paratha, Kachhi Biryani, a variety of chopped cutlets, luchi, and kochuri. The Edison location operates seven days a week from 12:00 PM to 11:00 PM. Customers interested in drop-off services can reach the restaurant through WhatsApp. The opening adds to Edison's well-established South Asian food corridor along Oak Tree Road, which has drawn diners from across the region. [2]
🎉 Edison's Fourth Annual Diwali Festival Brought 100,000 Lights to Papaianni Park
Edison Township held its fourth annual Diwali Festival at Papaianni Park on October 25, 2025, anchored by an 18-minute drone show and a fireworks display. The drone show, sponsored by Patel Brothers, depicted the story of Diwali and launched shortly after sundown, with fireworks following immediately. The event included live musical performances and dances, a diya lighting ceremony, henna demonstrations, food and craft vendors, cultural displays, and children's activities; all vendor slots were filled ahead of the event. Edison Mayor Sam Joshi, who took office in 2022 as the township's first South Asian mayor, introduced the festival to Edison that year and has remained a central figure in its promotion. The celebration featured more than 100,000 lights along with dozens of photo locations set up for families. Edison has one of New Jersey's largest Asian Indian populations, and the annual festival has grown into one of the region's most prominent public Diwali observances, reflecting the community's deep roots in Middlesex County. [6]
Sources: [5] Insider NJ · [2] TAPinto · [6] Central New Jersey News