Zohran Mamdani's mother Mira Nair's first reaction to son's historic win in New York City's mayoral polls: ‘You beauty’

ZOHRAN Mamdani's mother, Mira Nair, hailed her son's historic win in New York City's mayoral elections on Tuesday. The 34-year-old Indian-origin Democrat defeated independent candidate Andrew Cuomo and Republican Curtis Sliwa in the closely-watched battle for New York City Mayor.

Mamdani will be the first Muslim, the first Indian-origin, the first born in Africa, and the youngest one in more than a century when he becomes New York Mayor on January 1. "I am young and I am a Muslim. I refuse to apologise for being a Muslim," Mamdani said in his victory speech.

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. Tonight, we have stepped out from the old into the new,” he said, quoting India's first prime minister, Jawaharlal Nehru.

Mira Nair's first reaction

Mira Nair took to the Instagram social media platform to repost filmmaker Zoya Akhtar's post congratulating Zohran Mamdani on becoming New York City's mayor.

"Zohran, you beauty," Zoya Akhatar shared on her emoji-loaded Instagram story.

Mira Nair, Zohran's mother, who is herself an Oscar-winning filmmaker, reposted Zoya's post.

Who is Zohran Mamdani?

Mamdani is the son of renowned filmmaker Mira Nair and Columbia University professor Mahmood Mamdani.

He was born and raised in Kampala, Uganda and moved to New York City with his family when he was 7. Mamdani became a naturalised US citizen only recently, in 2018.

Mamdani attended Bronx High School of Science and received a Bachelor's Degree in Africana Studies from Bowdoin College.

In high school, he co-founded his school’s first-ever cricket team, which went on to participate in the Public School Athletic League’s inaugural cricket season, his campaign profile said.

He worked as a foreclosure prevention housing counsellor, helping low-income homeowners of colour across Queens fight off eviction and stay in their homes, according to his official profile.

His work led him to run for office and he was first elected to the New York State Assembly in 2020 and represented the 36th Assembly District and its neighbourhoods of Astoria, Ditmars-Steinway and Astoria Heights.

Mamdani contested in the Mayoral polls to lower the cost of living for working-class New Yorkers, his campaign had said.

The young politician garnered support among the youth and working-class New Yorkers, who have been reeling under the burden of high costs and job insecurities amid a tough economic and political climate in the country.

He has promised to “lower costs and make life easier” for New Yorkers as the city gets “too expensive”.