Why some Hindu-Americans are opposing the first South Asian to run in New York’s mayoral poll

On Sunday afternoon, New Yorkers walking and cycling by the Hudson river were greeted with an unusual sight: a plane tugging a banner reading “Save NYC from Global Intifada. Reject Mamdani.”

This was part of a late-stage effort by a Hindu-American group opposing mayoral candidate Zohran Mamdani three days before Tuesday’s Democratic Party “primary” election. They claim that Mamdani – the first South Asian to run to be New York’s mayor – has an “extremist agenda and history of hateful rhetoric”.

The son of filmmaker Mira Nair and academic Mahmood Mamdani, Zohran Mamdani is competing for the Democratic Party nomination for the mayoral race. In a city in which about two-thirds of voters are registered Democrats, the winner of this primary election is very likely to win the mayoral election in November.

Mamdani is currently a member of the New York state assembly. He is a member of the Muslim Democratic Club of New York.

A survey of Democratic early voters and likely voters released on Monday showed that Mamdani had a slight edge over his main rival, Andrew Cuomo. He has gained attention for proposals to provide free childcare, open city-owned stores to sell affordable groceries, make bus travel free and freeze rent for residents of rent-stablised apartments.

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