Zohran Mamdani—who is set to become the city’s first Muslim, first South Asian, and youngest mayor in over a century—used his victory speech to rapturous supporters in Brooklyn to challenge former Governor Andrew Cuomo and throw down the gauntlet to President Donald Trump.
Addressing the man he defeated for the Democratic nomination, Mamdani said, “I wish Andrew Cuomo only the best in private life, but let tonight be the final time I utter his name as we turn the page on a politics that abandons the many and serves only the few.”
Turning his fire on President Trump, who had backed Cuomo and threatened to withhold federal funding from New York if the democratic socialist won, Mamdani declared: “If anyone can show a nation betrayed by Donald Trump how to defeat him, it is the city that gave rise to him. This is not only how we stop Trump. It’s how we stop the next one. So Donald Trump, since I know you’re watching, I have four words for you: ‘Turn the volume up’.”
On his social media platform, Truth Social, the US President responded with the cryptic message: “…AND SO IT BEGINS! The impossible made possible.”
According to the New York Board of Elections, voter turnout in this year’s general election surpassed 2 million people, a significant increase from just under 1.15 million in 2021.
Mamdani ran on a progressive platform that includes ambitious policies critics have suggested may be unaffordable, such as state-run grocery shops, “fast and free” buses, and frozen rents on certain housing. To fund his plans, he has vowed to raise taxes on the rich and had previously called himself “Donald Trump’s worst nightmare” in August.
“We won because New Yorkers allowed themselves to hope that the impossible could be made possible,” he told supporters late on Tuesday. Mamdani will be sworn in on New Year’s Day. His projected win follows one of the most colorful races in years and is expected to have a profound effect on US national politics.
Zohran Mamdani’s Background and Family
Zohran Mamdani was born on October 18, 1991, in Kampala, Uganda. He is the only child of postcolonialism academic Mahmood Mamdani and Indian-American filmmaker Mira Nair.
Both of his parents are of Indian descent. His father is a Gujarati Muslim who was born in Bombay and primarily grew up in Uganda. His mother, Mira Nair, is a Punjabi Hindu who was born in Rourkela and was raised in Bhubaneswar.
Mira Nair: Filmmaker
Mira Nair is an Indian-American filmmaker known for directing independent dramas through her production company, Mirabai Films. She has received numerous awards, including two prizes from the Cannes Film Festival and four from the Venice Film Festival, as well as nominations for two BAFTA Awards and two César Awards. Her films have also earned two Academy Award (Oscar) nominations.
Her feature film debut, ‘Salaam Bombay!’ (1988), received Oscar, BAFTA, and Golden Globe Award nominations for Best International Feature Film, as well as a Filmfare Award nomination for Best Director. Her next film, the romantic drama ‘Mississippi Masala’ (1991), was nominated for the Independent Spirit Award for Best Film.
In 2001, she directed the comedy-drama ‘Monsoon Wedding’, which won the prestigious Golden Lion at the 58th Venice International Film Festival and received a BAFTA Award nomination for Best International Feature Film.
Her body of work also includes: ‘The Perez Family’ (1995), ‘Kama Sutra: A Tale of Love’ (1996), the made-for-television film ‘My Own Country’ (1998), ‘Hysterical Blindness’ (2002) (made for HBO), ‘Vanity Fair’ (2004), ‘The Namesake’ (2006), ‘Amelia’ (2009), ‘The Reluctant Fundamentalist’ (2012), and ‘Queen of Katwe’ (2016).
With input from New.Sky & NM
For more details: Navamalayalam.com
