- Zohran Mamdani quoted Jawaharlal Nehru's 1947 speech after winning NYC mayoral election
- Mamdani is NYC's youngest mayor, and first Muslim and South Asian immigrant elected
- Mamdani framed his win as empowerment for ordinary New Yorkers against political elites
Zohran Mamdani celebrated his victory in the New York City mayoral election by invoking one of the most famous speeches in modern Indian history. Addressing supporters after winning the election, Mamdani quoted Jawaharlal Nehru's iconic “Tryst with Destiny” speech from 1947, a moment that marked India's transition to independence from British rule.
Standing before an ecstatic crowd at his campaign headquarters in Brooklyn, the Democrat winner recalled Nehru's words delivered on the eve of India's rise as a free nation.
Mamdani, who is the son of renowned filmmaker Mira Nair, said, “Standing before you, I'm reminded of Jawaharlal Nehru's words. ‘A moment comes, but 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'.” He added, “Tonight, we have stepped from the old into the new. This new era demands clarity, courage and vision, not excuses.”
VIDEO | USA: Addressing his supporters after winning New York city mayoral elections, Indian-origin democratic socialist lawmaker, Zohran Mamdani (@ZohranKMamdani), quotes former Prime Minister of India Jawaharlal Nehru in his victory speech.
November 5, 2025
He says, “Standing before you, I'm… pic.twitter.com/gydR3zPsqlNehru's speech was made at midnight on Aug. 14, 1947, as India prepared to become an independent nation, marking the end of British colonial rule.
Mamdani, who is of Indian origin, made history himself. He has become New York City's youngest mayor and the first Muslim and South Asian immigrant to be elected to the role. He defeated former state governor Andrew Cuomo in a closely watched election held on Tuesday, Nov. 4. The race was widely viewed as a test of the Democratic Party's direction. Mamdani secured 50.4% of the vote, while Cuomo received 41.3%.
The atmosphere at Mamdani's headquarters was electric as supporters waited for the mayor-elect to speak. When he took the stage, he framed the win as a victory for ordinary New Yorkers. “For as long as we can remember, the working people of New York have been told by the wealthy and the well-connected that power does not belong in their hands,” he said. “And yet, over the last 12 months, you have dared to reach for something greater. Tonight, against all odds, we have grasped it. The future is in our hands,” he added, drawing loud cheers.
He further declared, “Friends, we have toppled a political dynasty. I wish Andrew Cuomo only the best in private life, but let tonight be the final time I utter his name as we turn the page on a politics that abandons the many and answers only to the few. New York, tonight you have delivered.”
Mamdani also criticised President Trump in his victory speech.
According to The New York Times, Mamdani's rise was driven by a strong focus on affordability and an aggressive, ground-level campaign that brought new voters into the process. He reached out to communities that rarely receive such direct attention from a citywide candidate, especially the Muslim community. He reportedly visited more than 50 mosques, some of them multiple times, and ran phone banks in Urdu, Arabic and Bengali to take his economic message to voters.
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