Indian-Born Zohran Mamdani is sworn in as the first Muslim mayor of New York.
New York Attorney General Letitia James, a political ally, conducted the 34-year-old Democrat’s swearing-in ceremony inside the historic City Hall station, one of the city’s first subway stops renowned for its magnificent arched ceilings.
In a historic ceremony held at a closed subway station in Manhattan, Zohran Mamdani was sworn in as the new mayor of New York City. Placing his hand on a Quran, the Democrat of Indian descent took the oath of office as the first Muslim mayor of America’s largest city.
“This is truly the honour and the privilege of a lifetime,” Zohran Mamdani stated.
The 34-year-old Democrat’s wife, Rama Duaji, held the Quran as New York Attorney General Letitia James, a political friend, administered the swearing-in ceremony inside the historic City Hall station, one of the city’s first tube stops renowned for its magnificent arched ceilings.
One of the mayor’s political heroes, US Senator Bernie Sanders, will swear him in once more in a grandiose ceremony at City Hall at 1 pm (local time). The “Canyon of Heroes” section of Broadway, which is well-known for its ticker-tape parades, will host what the new administration is calling a public block party.
US New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani takes the oath of office.
In order to move into the magnificent mayoral house in Manhattan, Zohran Mamdani and his spouse, Rama Duwaji, will leave their one-bedroom, rent-stabilized apartment in the outer borough. As one of the most watched politicians in the nation, he now takes on one of the hardest positions in American politics.
Mahmood Mamdani, a scholar-activist and renowned filmmaker, was born in Kampala, Uganda, in 1991. Mamdani’s biography begins in the nexus of diasporas. He is not only the first Muslim mayor of the city, but also the first person of South Asian heritage and the first person born in Africa. He is also the youngest mayor in the city’s history, at 34.
ZohranMamdani grew up in a post-9/11 city where Muslims weren’t always accepted after his family relocated to New York City when he was seven years old. In 2018, he obtained US citizenship. After that, he assisted Democratic candidates in the city with their political campaigns before running for government himself. In 2020, he was elected to a state Assembly seat to represent a portion of Queens.
The democratic socialist pledged to bring about revolutionary change with measures meant to reduce the cost of living in one of the most expensive cities in the world during a campaign that helped make “affordability” a catchphrase across the political spectrum. Free childcare, free buses, a rent freeze for about a million homes, and a test of city-run food stores were all part of his campaign.
After years of a sluggish recovery from the COVID-19 epidemic, Mamdani inherited a city on the rise. Pre-pandemic levels of violent crime have been reached. Travellers have returned. Additionally, unemployment has returned to pre-COVID levels after skyrocketing during the pandemic years.
However, there are still serious worries regarding the city’s exorbitant costs and growing rent. Additionally, he will have to contend with Republican President Donald Trump, who has previously considered sending National Guard troops to the city and threatened to withhold federal funding from it if Mamdani wins.
Early on Thursday, Zohran Mamdani, a democratic socialist who ran on a platform of addressing the affordability issue in one of the priciest cities in America, took the oath of office as the 112th mayor of New York City.
Mamdani, a 34-year-old immigrant from Uganda, becomes the first Muslim mayor of the city, the first South Asian mayor, and the youngest person to hold the prominent position in over a century.
Shortly after taking the oath of office, Mamdani declared, “This is truly the honour and the privilege of a lifetime.”