Highlights
- The 34-year-old Indian-origin leader spent his first day in office with a packed schedule of interviews and meetings.
- His lunch with Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez at a Nepali-Indian bistro drew online attention.
- Mamdani’s victory speech invoked Jawaharlal Nehru and marked a new political era for New York City.
A busy first day in office
New York City’s newly elected mayor, Zohran Mamdani, began his first day in office with a touch of home over Indian dishes and Nepali flavors at a Jackson Heights eatery. The 34-year-old Democratic socialist described it as a “busy first day,” filled with early interviews, transition meetings, and a lunch that reflected both his cultural roots and his connection to the city’s diverse communities.
Mamdani, who is of Indian origin, shared moments from his day on X (formerly Twitter), posting photos and a note that read: “A busy first day as your Mayor-elect: early morning interviews, transition announcements, and meetings. More to say on all of it tomorrow. But a highlight was lunch with my Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez at Laliguras Bistro in Jackson Heights.”
Lunch with AOC steals the spotlight
Among the photos Mamdani shared, one moment caught social media’s attention: a casual lunch with Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez at the Nepali-Indian restaurant Laliguras Bistro in Jackson Heights.
Their table featured familiar South Asian favourites chai, momos, aloo dum, and paneer tikka, a nod to the city’s multicultural fabric and Mamdani’s roots. The post quickly went viral, with many celebrating the duo’s symbolic show of progressive unity in one of New York’s most diverse neighborhoods.
From filmmaker’s son to mayoral victor
Mamdani, the son of acclaimed filmmaker Mira Nair and Ugandan-born scholar Mahmood Mamdani, made history by winning one of the most hard-fought mayoral contests in recent memory.
He triumphed over former Governor Andrew Cuomo and Republican nominee Curtis Sliwa, vowing to reshape the city’s politics. “Tonight you have delivered a mandate for change, a mandate for a new kind of politics,” he told supporters in Brooklyn after his victory. “We have toppled a political dynasty. I wish Andrew Cuomo only the best in private life. But let tonight be the final time I speak his name,” Mamdani said to applause.
A call for a new era in politics
In his speech, Mamdani quoted Jawaharlal Nehru, drawing parallels between India’s independence and New York’s political shift.
“Standing before you, I think of the words of Nehru a moment comes, but rarely in history, when we step out from the old to the new. Tonight, we have stepped out from the old into the new,” he declared. The mayor-elect ended on a defiant note, addressing the U.S. president directly: “So Donald Trump, since I know you’re watching, I have four words for you turn the volume up.”
