By Nikhila Natarajan

New York, Nov 7 (IANS): Kamala Harris, the first Indian and Black American candidate on a US presidential ticket, is pencilled in to speak ahead of Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden at a location that's increasingly taking on the look of a victory podium set up at the Biden campaign headquarters in Wilmington, Delaware.

Biden is on the cusp of winning the presidency on Friday as he opened or extended leads over Trump in critical battlegrounds of Georgia, Pennsylvania, Nevada and Arizona. A Pennsylvania win alone will push him over the top of the 270-electoral vote target.

As per campaign chatter, Harris speaking first is the Biden camp's nod to the vice presidential candidate's historic run. At this time, it is not clear if Harris and Biden will take the stage even if Pennsylvania results are not yet declared by that time.

At this time, the mood in the campaign is said to be one of "joy" and "relief" after an "emotional roller coaster" of a long and bruising election campaign season amid an ongoing pandemic.

Champagne bottles are being popped but the public posture remains muted yet confident.

A campaign staffer told NBC that the final call on the election result (in Biden's favour) is "only an eventuality" and "imminent".