Zohran Mamdani made history today by becoming the first Indian-origin Muslim mayor of New York City. In a historic election that saw more than two million voters, Mamdani defeated Republican candidate Curtis Sliwa and former New York Governor Andrew Cuomo.

At just 34 years old, he is the youngest person to become mayor in over a century, making his victory all the more remarkable.

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Indian leaders celebrate Mamdani’s win

The win is also celebrated by leaders and well-wishers from India. One of the first to congratulate Mamdani was Congress leader Shashi Tharoor. Tharoor shared a screenshot from The New York Times with the headline, “Mamdani’s improbable run ends in victory.” He wrote, “Wonderfully apt! Warmest congratulations to my old friend @MiraPagliNair on her son @ZohranKMamdani’s spectacular victory and to his uncles, my Stephanian friends Vicky and Gautam Nair, for their nephew’s triumph!”

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Thiruvananthapuram’s mayor Arya Rajendran, the youngest mayor in India, also expressed her joy. She wrote on X, “Warmest congratulations to Zohran Mamdani on your election as the 111th mayor of New York City! Your victory is a powerful testament that progressive, leftist ideals of justice and equity continue to inspire and reaffirm their relevance across the globe. It speaks of how humans who care about each other and the planet choose people-centric governance, from Kerala to New York. We would be honoured to welcome you to Thiruvananthapuram to see our own people’s planning model in action. Looking forward to the possibility of your visit.”

Trinamool Congress MP Mahua Moitra also shared her excitement, writing, “Go @ZohranKMamdani! You haven’t just won NYC. You’ve won all our hearts & given us hope that love & being brave & true to one’s self ultimately triumphs. Thank you.”

Supriya Shrinate, an INC politician, could not help but reflect on India’s history. She shared the words of Jawaharlal Nehru, saying, “I think of the words of Jawaharlal Nehru. A moment comes, which comes but rarely in history, when we step out from the old to the new, when an age ends, and when the soul of a nation, long suppressed, finds utterance.” She continued, “@ZohranKMamdani invokes the immortal words from Pandit Nehru’s Tryst With Destiny speech to honour the architect of modern India. Nehru’s legacy continues to echo across oceans and generations, no matter how much you malign him Mr Modi. Deal with it!”