Indian-American Zohran Mamdani wins New York mayor elections but he opposes PM Modi - Here's why

New York City's mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani created history as he became first Indian-American to win the race. However, he has been a critic of Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and just ahead of the elections, Mamdani explained the reason for his opposition. Mamdani defeated former Gov. Andrew Cuomo, an independent candidate - who was backed by US President Donald Trump - and Republican candidate Curtis Sliwa in the key mayoral polls. Mamdani will take office on January 1, 2026, becoming the city's youngest mayor in more than a century.

In his first speech, Mamdani called the victory a 'mandate for change' and thanked his parents - mother Mira Nair and father Professor Mahmood Mamdani - for their support. He also thanked his wife Rama and said, “no one I would rather have by my side in this moment and in every moment.”

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Mamdani criticised PM Modi

During his outreach to Hindu American voters on Diwali, Mamdani claimed that Modi and the BJP “has room for certain kinds of Indians.” "So, I have been critical of Mr. Modi because of the vision that I grew up with was of an India that was pluralistic, an India where everyone belonged, no matter their religion. And my critique has been of Mr. Modi and the BJP political party for their vision of an India that only has room for certain kinds of Indians, and it's part of a belief that pluralism is something to be celebrated, something to be strived for," he said. "And I also know that I'm running to be the mayor of New York City - eight and a half million people - many of whom may feel differently than me about Mr. Modi, and that's their right, and I will look to represent them all the same, because my responsibility to them as New Yorkers is to ensure that they are safe, to ensure they can afford this city," he added. '

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In June 2025 Mamdani had called the Indian PM a ‘war criminal'. “Narendra Modi helped to orchestrate what was a mass slaughter of Muslims in Gujarat… to the extent that we don’t even believe there are Gujarati Muslims any more, he had said. In his speeches, Mamdani has called out Hindu majoritarian policies in India, linking them to Modi.