Zohran Mamdani wins New York City mayoral polls to become first Muslim mayor

New Delhi: In a seismic shift for American urban politics, Zohran Mamdani, the 34-year-old democratic socialist and state assemblyman from Queens, has clinched a resounding victory in the New York City mayoral election. 

The win, called by the Associated Press just under an hour after polls closed on Tuesday evening, catapults Mamdani into the helm of the world's financial and cultural powerhouse, marking him as the city's first Muslim mayor and a rising beacon for progressive forces in the Democratic Party.

Mamdani's triumph over a fractured field, dominated by high-profile independents like former Governor Andrew Cuomo and incumbent Mayor Eric Adams, signals a bold pivot toward left-wing populism in the nation's largest metropolis. 

With a workforce of over 306,000 under his command, Mamdani inherits a city that serves as the epicenter of global capitalism, yet grapples with skyrocketing costs of living that have driven many residents to the brink. 

His victory speech, delivered to a jubilant crowd in Queens, promised a "politics of no translation", one that directly addresses the daily struggles of working families without the filter of elite jargon.

"This is not just a win for New Yorkers; it's a mandate for change in a city that has too long prioritized the ultra-wealthy over its everyday heroes," Mamdani declared, his voice echoing the upbeat, accessible tone that defined his campaign. 

"From free childcare to affordable groceries, we're going to build a New York where no one is left behind."

The road to Mamdani's success was anything but smooth, riddled with national Democratic anxieties and fierce opposition from establishment figures. 

Emerging from a crowded Democratic primary as a charismatic underdog, the millennial socialist, known for his unapologetic advocacy for taxing the rich to fund social services, faced relentless scrutiny. 

Critics, including President Donald Trump, branded him a "communist" whose policies would spell doom for the city's capitalist soul. 

Trump, in a weekend interview with 60 Minutes, warned that federal funding for New York would dry up under Mamdani's watch: "It's going to be hard for me as President to give a lot of money to New York because if you have a communist running New York, all you're doing is wasting the money you're sending there."

Cuomo, mounting a quixotic independent bid after his humiliating primary loss amid lingering sexual misconduct allegations (which he continues to deny), amplified these attacks in the race's final stretch.

 The former governor, once a Democratic heavyweight, refused to bow out gracefully and painted Mamdani as a threat to the city's autonomy. 

"He will be President Trump and Mayor Trump," Cuomo thundered on Monday. "He's going to take over New York and send tanks down Fifth Avenue." 

He also invoked the specter of failed socialist experiments abroad, telling Hispanic voters, a key demographic in the city, "Socialism did not work in Venezuela. Socialism did not work in Cuba."

Eric Adams, the scandal-plagued incumbent who dropped out in September but remained on the ballot as an independent, siphoned some moderate votes but failed to derail the socialist surge. 

Early returns suggest Mamdani captured over 55% of the vote, with Cuomo trailing at around 25% and Adams at 15%, based on partial tallies from urban precincts. 

Voter turnout hovered near 60%, buoyed by early voting that saw nearly half a million ballots cast in the weeks leading up to Election Day.