Mamdani Victory is Sure Sign of Changing Political Winds

The spectacular victory of Zohran Kwame Mamdani in the New York City Mayor’s election is a significant political development for a variety of reasons. He is the first Muslim person to be elected to the post and the first person with Indian and South Asian roots to hold this office, having migrated to the United States with family after his birth in Africa.

As a young politician, Mamdani challenged the established order and vested interests in the politics and administration of New York City as well in the United States, posing a powerful counter to the rightwing policies being pursued by the US President Donald Trump and his administration controlled by the MAGA lunatics. He boldly spoke up for the ordinary people living in the most populous and richest city in the world, where the majority of its residents live in difficult conditions in spite of its immense wealth. He called for affordable housing, better healthcare, free public transport and such other pressing concerns of the ordinary people. It was this down-to-earth approach that made him closer to the people of the city, as he voiced their genuine concerns and needs. He was the right person at the right moment — someone who was not filthy rich as most other mayor candidates had been, someone who not only spoke for improving the public transport but actually rides in those city buses.

On the other hand, the Republican Party as well as the dominant leadership of the Democratic Party stood for the vested interests including the richest people and corporates who have always controlled the city. The Wall Street is one of the most famous streets in New York and it also controls the global finance capital with the power to shake even governments across the continents. In fact, these people did everything to defeat Mamdani, vilifying him as an Islamic terrorist and a Communist. They had released a torrent of 1.5 million videos against him to vilify him during the campaign. President Trump has even threatened that he would deport Mamdani, who became a US citizen only recently, to his birth land of Uganda in Africa!

But the people of New York have simply rejected such threats and vicious campaigns. They have given him a thumping majority with more than 50 per cent votes polled, one the greatest victory margins in recent history. In fact, the enthusiastic turnout of voters in the elections was historic, never seen in the past five decades in the city’s electoral history. That actually shows that the people have now realised the folly and dangers of the divisive and poisonous rightwing campaign and are ready and willing to march together to face and defeat such negative forces.

Mamdani has put forward a clear path ahead, asserting that the city’s rich elites will have to pay more taxes. He has promised strict action against corruption and plans to put more people from less privileged and subaltern backgrounds to important positions in the city’s administration. He has also made it clear that women will hold many of these important positions.

Mamdani’s victory and the policy declarations he has made point to the way his administration will move ahead — as a declared democratic socialist, he will pursue more egalitarian policies and favour the poorer sections of society. New York and the United States are known for the pro rich policies they have pursued, and for the first time a totally different set of policies are going to be experimented in New York. The world will keenly watch the progress of the young and charismatic politician and his team. Whether he wins or not, it is a sure sign that the winds of change have now started blowing in global politics and the poorer people are strongly asserting their rights and political will. Mamdani’s victory is a clear sign that the right-wing lunatics who presently control political power in many countries will face their nemesis in the coming days.

Mohammad Shafi
National Vice President
Social Democratic Party of India