【By Xiangguan Zhe, Observer Net】On November 4 local time, 34-year-old Democratic candidate Zohran Mamdani won the mayoral election in New York City. Notably, he has "buffs" stacked up.

According to a report by Associated Press on November 5 local time, after his victory, Mamdani not only thanked his parents born in India, but also quoted a famous passage from Jawaharlal Nehru's speech, the first prime minister of independent India, and turned the opportunity of his victory into a street party with a distinct Bollywood style. At the same time, Indian people also expressed their congratulations on social media.

"We are proud of him, and he did an excellent job," said Mamdani's uncle Vikram Nair to the Associated Press. His close friends and family asked him to hold a celebration party. "We will arrange it as soon as possible," he added, saying that the family very much hoped that Mamdani himself would attend.

The report stated that although the Indian government has not made an official response to Mamdani's victory, senior leaders of the opposition Congress Party, such as Shashi Tharoor, have already posted on social media, praising his "glorious victory" and calling this victory "timely."

It is worth mentioning that when Indian-origin Sunak was elected Prime Minister of the UK, and when Indian-origin Harris and her spouse Vance, who is of Indian origin, were elected as US Vice President, there had been similar "joyful" atmospheres in India.

Mamdani was born in Uganda and moved to New York at the age of seven. His parents are both of Indian origin. He is a member of the Democratic Socialists of America (DSA) organization and has been a state legislator since 2021. Mamdani will take office on January 1 next year, becoming the youngest mayor in New York City in over a century, and also the first Muslim and Indian-origin mayor in the history of New York City.

On November 4 local time, in Brooklyn, New York City, Mamdani gave a speech after winning the election. IC Photo

According to reports, during the lively victory rally held on the evening of November 4 local time, Mamdani delivered a speech to supporters, drawing inspiration from Nehru's famous speech in 1947 before India's independence — "A Meeting with Destiny."

"Standing before you, I am reminded of Jawaharlal Nehru's words: 'In history, such moments are rare; we will eventually step out of the old era and move towards a new one; an era will end; the soul of a nation will finally be released.' Tonight, we are taking this step, stepping out of the old era and moving towards a new one," said Mamdani.

When Mamdani finished his speech, the theme song of the 2004 Bollywood hit film "Don: The Chase Begins Again" played at the event, with Mamdani's parents and wife by his side.

Mamdani's mother, Mira Nair, is an award-winning Indian film director, known for works such as "Monsoon Wedding," "The Namesake," and "Mississippi Masala," and has been nominated for an Academy Award; Mamdani's father, Mahmood Mamdani, is a professor of anthropology at Columbia University in the United States.

In the past, in Mamdani's campaign videos, he often incorporated tributes to Indian culture, and many social media posts quoted classic Bollywood movie lines. After his victory, his mother Mira Nair also shared a social media post of congratulations from Bollywood director Zoya Akhtar.

The Associated Press pointed out that Mamdani has been actively expanding support among diverse racial groups and embracing his Indian-origin and Muslim identity, which has earned him votes.

On November 4 local time, Mamdani and his family attended the victory rally. IC Photo

However, his past comments about Indian Prime Minister Modi have caused many people's concerns, even anger — he publicly accused Modi of being a "war criminal" and criticized Modi for suppressing the Muslim community.

The Associated Press reported that Modi, while serving as Chief Minister of Gujarat, was accused of failing to act to stop the sectarian violence that led to more than 1,000 deaths in the 2002 anti-Muslim riots. Later, the Indian Supreme Court approved an investigation and later declared Modi innocent.

Although Mamdani's "historic victory" became the headline news in major media outlets, not all Indians were excited about it.

"It's again time, the so-called 'urban intellectuals' in India are obsessed with Zohran Mamdani becoming the mayor of New York, yet they don't know who the mayor of their own city is!" wrote Milind Deora, a member of the Indian Parliament from the Congress Party, on social media.

On the social media platform X, some netizens also expressed negative attitudes toward Mamdani's victory.

One person wrote: "I heard Modi crying."

Some people believe that the United States is becoming the next Britain, and Mamdani is deliberately quoting Nehru's words because Nehru is well-known as an Indian Hindu hater and a supporter of Pakistan. "These jihadists will destroy the West completely, just like their idol destroys Indian deities by humiliating them," they claimed.

Other netizens posted images in the New York Times comment section questioning Mamdani's Muslim identity, which received high likes, revealing deep-seated racism and religious conflicts within the United States.

According to previous reports by the Associated Press and the New York Times, on November 4 local time, the results of the mayoral election in New York City were announced, with Democratic candidate Zohran Mamdani defeating his opponent, former New York State Governor Cuomo, with over 50% of the vote, successfully electing him as the new mayor of New York City. Cuomo ran as an independent candidate and recently received the endorsement of U.S. President Trump.

The report stated that Mamdani completed one of the most remarkable political reversals in New York's history, which also means that a "democratic socialist" will soon take over the New York City Hall.

"Donald Trump, I know you're watching, I just want to say four words to you: turn up the volume," Mamdani said in his victory rally speech, addressing U.S. President Trump directly, stating that he will firmly oppose the anti-immigrant policies of the Trump administration.

"New York will still be an immigrant city: a city built and driven by immigrants, and from tonight, this city will be led by an immigrant," Mamdani continued, adding, "So, Mr. President Trump, listen to me: if you want to affect any one of us, you must first beat all of us."

Mamdani admitted that he is young, Muslim, and a "democratic socialist," and said, "I refuse to apologize for all of this."

On the evening of November 4 local time, Trump posted on social media: "...AND SO IT BEGINS!" The Associated Press noted that Trump made this statement while Mamdani was speaking, which was seen as a response to Mamdani.

This article is exclusive to Observer Net. Reproduction without permission is prohibited.

Original: https://www.toutiao.com/article/7569457952227181092/

Statement: This article represents the views of the author and welcomes your opinion through the 【like/dislike】 buttons below.