Zohran Mamdani quotes Nehru in victory speech after winning NYC mayoral race
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Zohran Mamdani has been elected New York City’s mayor.
He won 948,202 votes, which is 50.6 per cent, with 83 per cent of votes counted.
In his victory speech, he referred to Jawaharlal Nehru’s “Tryst with Destiny” speech. “A moment comes 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,” Mamdani quoted.
He said that New York had “stepped out from the old into the new.” He said his win had “toppled a political dynasty” and marked the start of a different phase in city politics. He said this shift would bring in new leadership committed to equality and justice.
By referring to Nehru’s legacy, Mamdani presented his win as a turning point based on inclusion, renewal, and progress.
His campaign focused on economic justice and affordability. He pledged to freeze rents. He promised city-owned grocery stores. He vowed to make bus transport free. He also said he would increase access to affordable childcare.
One of the tense issues in the race was his stand on the Israel-Hamas conflict. His critics accused him of not firmly opposing the line “globalise the intifada”. Pro-Israel advocates say the phrase incites violence. His supporters see it as a call for Palestinian liberation.