Zohran Mamdani, a 34-year-old progressive Democrat and state assemblyman from Queens has emerged as a historic victor in the 2025 mayoral race of New York City. With Indian heritage (his parents are Indian-origin, his mother an acclaimed filmmaker), Muslim identity, and democratic-socialist leanings, his election moment resonates not just locally but internationally including within India.
Mamdani’s mayoral campaign was built around a bold agenda- housing affordability, a rent freeze on rent-stabilized units, free bus transit, tax increases on high earners and corporations, and a transformative vision for a city grappling with inequality. He swept the Democratic primary in June 2025, defeating former governor Andrew Cuomo then went on to win the general election in November.
Zohran Mamdani India link
Mamdani’s Indian connection is multiple and meaningful. He is of Indian origin and has publicly referenced Indian-subcontinent politics in his campaign. For example, he has criticised Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, calling him a “war criminal” for his alleged role in the 2002 Gujarat riots remarks that sparked controversy among Indian and Indian-American communities.
His life story also bridges continents: born in Uganda to Indian-origin parents (his father a Ugandan academic of Indian descent), he migrated to New York as a child. In campaigning he used elements familiar to South Asian immigrant communities multilingual outreach, references to cultural touch-points which helped build his coalition in a highly diverse city.
Implications for US-India relations
While the mayoralty is a municipal office, Mamdani’s victory carries symbolic weight in the wider diaspora and possibly for India-US city-to-city relations. First, for the Indian diaspora in the United States, having an Indian-origin Muslim ascend to one of the most visible city-leadership roles in the US marks a moment of representation and influence. Second, on the India side, his vocal criticism of the Indian government draws attention to how Indian politics and diaspora politics are intertwined in globalised urban electorates.
If Mamdani takes office, New York City under his leadership may engage with Indian cities and the Indian government differently focusing on equity, social housing, transit, immigrant-rights frameworks rather than purely economic ties. For instance, Indian municipalities may look to New York’s progressive platform for lessons in affordability and inclusive development. Conversely, the Indian government and Indian business interests active in New York may need to engage with a mayor whose values emphasise redistribution, community-organising and immigrant-led mobilisations.
However, the negative side of this relation must be acknowledged: Mamdani’s harsh remarks about India’s leadership have already caused friction among Indian-American organisations, which accused him of Hinduphobic language and bias. Such tensions could complicate diaspora politics and local diplomatic-city outreach between India and New York.
Why Donald Trump did not want Zohran Mamdani?
Donald Trump’s opposition to Zohran Mamdani stems from a combination of ideological, political and rhetorical factors. Mamdani, a young progressive Democrat identifying as a democratic socialist, has campaigned on policies such as freezing rent, free public transit, and higher taxes on the wealthy measures Trump and his political allies view as radical left‐wing governance. From Trump’s perspective, Mamdani embodies a political threat to the status quo in New York City. Trump has publicly labelled Mamdani a communist and lunatic and asserted that his victory would mark the transformation of the city into a “communistic city.