Zohran Mamdani took the oath of office as the new mayor of New York City in a historic ceremony held at a decommissioned subway station in Manhattan. The Indian-American Democrat was sworn in as the first Muslim mayor of America’s largest city, placing his palm on a Quran as he took his oath.
“This is truly the honour and the privilege of a lifetime,” Mamdani told the audience.
The 34-year-old Democrat was sworn in by New York Attorney General Letitia James, a political friend, inside the ancient City Hall station, one of the city’s first subway stops with spectacular arched ceilings, as his wife, Rama Duaji, held the Quran.
In a public ceremony at City Hall at 1 p.m. (local time), US Senator Bernie Sanders, one of the mayor’s political heroes, will re-swear him in. Following that, the new administration plans a public block party on Broadway’s “Canyon of Heroes,” which is known for its ticker-tape parades.
Mamdani and his wife, Rama Duwaji, will move from their one-bedroom, rent-stabilized apartment in the outer borough to the magnificent mayoral house in Manhattan. He now takes on one of the most demanding roles in American politics as one of the country’s most watched politicians.
About Zohran Mamdani
Born in Kampala, Uganda, in 1991 to famed filmmaker Mira Nair and scholar-activist Mahmood Mamdani, Mamdani’s narrative begins at the crossroads of diasporas. He is not only the city’s first Muslim mayor, but also the first of South Asian heritage and born in Africa. At 34, he is the city’s youngest mayor in decades.
Mamdani’s family relocated to New York City when he was seven, and he grew up in a post-9/11 city where Muslims were not always accepted. He became an American citizen in 2018. He then worked on political campaigns for Democratic candidates in the city before running for politics himself, earning a state Assembly seat in 2020 to represent a district of Queens.
In a campaign that helped make “affordability” a catchphrase across the political spectrum, the democratic socialist promised to bring about dramatic change by implementing policies to reduce the cost of living in one of the world’s most costly cities. His agenda includes free childcare, free buses, a rent freeze for around 1 million homes, and a pilot program of city-run grocery stores.
However, he will also be responsible for trash, snow, and vermin, as well as being held accountable for subway delays and potholes.
Mamdani inherits a city on the rise, following years of gradual recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic. Violent crime has reached pre-pandemic lows. Tourists are back. Unemployment, which spiked during the pandemic years, has likewise returned to pre-COVID norms.
Nonetheless, the city’s high prices and rising rents continue to raise serious issues. He will also have to contend with Republican President Donald Trump, who has already threatened to cut off federal assistance to the city if Mamdani wins and has considered sending National Guard troops there.
