It’s clear that Zohran Mamdani, the Democratic Socialist who may well be the first South Asian Muslim mayor of New York, has stirred more than conversations thousands of kilometres away. Mumbaikars, at least a certain set who closely follow the trajectory of politics in the United States, have been energised by Mamdani winning the Democratic Party nomination for the job that’s highly coveted and influential.

The NY metropolitan area, with its Gross Domestic Product at nearly $2.2 trillion, is the largest urban economy in the US and, if it were a country, would be the eighth-largest in the world. Influential is an understatement.

Mamdani exudes a brilliant mix of charm, confidence, oratory, connection, and a sense of purpose going by his videos. His campaign was refreshing in both its approach and design, as experts in these fields have noted. He used to be a rapper; he claims his South Asia legacy—from mother, award-winning filmmaker Mira Nair, and father, academician and author Mahmood Mamdani; he is unafraid to eat with his hands; he lets people know he stands with Palestine; and, most of all, he seems like a candidate who understands the city in all its grit and grime compared to the parlour politicians propped up by big businesses, even in his own Democratic party.

Mamdani’s win over his rivals in the party has been attributed to a host of factors, from his promises to freeze rents, lower the cost of living in one of the world’s most expensive cities, and make bus commutes free and fast, among other things—some economists have........

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