Zohran Mamdani quotes Nehru’s ‘Tryst with Destiny’ after historic win as New York’s first Muslim mayor

Zohran Mamdani, a 34-year-old Democratic Socialist from Queens and the son of Indian-origin parents, celebrated his landmark win in the New York City mayoral elections on Tuesday night by invoking Jawaharlal Nehru’s iconic “Tryst with Destiny” speech.

“A moment comes, which 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,” Mamdani said, quoting Nehru’s words from August 14, 1947, when India became an independent nation. “Tonight, New York has stepped from the old into the new,” he told cheering supporters at Brooklyn Paramount, where his campaign hosted its election-night watch party.

The reference struck a powerful chord with the crowd and highlighted the symbolic weight of the moment. Mamdani not only became the youngest person ever elected mayor of New York but also its first Muslim and South Asian immigrant to hold the position.

A member of the Democratic Socialists of America, Mamdani defeated former Governor Andrew Cuomo, who ran as an independent after losing the Democratic primary, and Republican candidate Curtis Sliwa. According to the Associated Press, Mamdani won 50.4% of the vote, while Cuomo secured 41.6% and Sliwa 7.1%. With over two million ballots cast, this was the highest voter turnout for a mayoral race since 1969.

Born in Uganda to Indian-origin parents, Mamdani moved to New York as a child. His mother is filmmaker Mira Nair, known for Monsoon Wedding, and his father, Mahmood Mamdani, is a noted Ugandan academic. Before entering city politics, Mamdani served as a state lawmaker from Queens, where he gained recognition as a grassroots organiser and housing rights advocate.

Throughout his campaign, Mamdani positioned himself as a progressive alternative to establishment politics, focusing on affordability, housing reform, and public transport. He pledged a citywide rent freeze and free bus rides. “Our victory proves that New Yorkers are ready for a fairer, more inclusive city,” he said after the results were announced.

Closing his speech, Mamdani once again drew on Nehru’s legacy, calling his triumph “a moment that comes but rarely in history.” For New York, he said, “this is that moment — a time to dream differently, and to begin again.”