New York: Film-maker Mira Nair’s son Zohran Mamdani is set to be elected to the New York State Assembly after winning the Democratic Party primary in a city constituency that is its stronghold.
In January, he and Jenifer Rajkumar, who has won another primary, will become the first persons of Indian origin in the Assembly.
Mamdani’s rival, sitting Assembly member Aravella Simotas has conceded defeat to him in a tweet even though the Board of Elections, which has bungled the vote counting, is yet to officially announce the results even a month after the primary.
Mamdani, 28, is a rapper, who performs under the stage name of Mr Cardamom and has produced a rap video, “Nani” starring Madhur Jaffrey, the actor and cookbook author.
He works as a housing counsellor helping people facing evictions and belongs to the left wing of the Democratic Party and is backed by the Democratic Socialist Alliance.
An element of his “Roti and Roses” campaign is affordable housing because, he said, “landlords and corporations have too much power, and tenants and workers don’t have enough.” Mamdani, who was born in Uganda, describes himself as an “Indian-Ugandan New Yorker.
His father is Mumbai-born Columbia University professor Mahood Mamdani. (Source: tribuneindia
