Mamdani's win hailed by global Left

ZOHRAN Mamdani's win in the New York City mayoral race comes after a trailblazing campaign that found global resonance among left-leaning politicians and activists, drew particular attention in parts of the world where Mamdani has family roots, and sparked criticism in countries he has criticised, including Israel.

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ZOHRAN Mamdani celebrates his election as New York City's mayor at the Brooklyn Paramount Theater in Brooklyn, New York, this week. Mamdani's election has galvanised Left movements across the globe.

(AFP)

The democratic socialist, who focused his campaign on policies targeting affordability, did not shy away from highlighting his cross-cultural upbringing as an American Muslim of Indian descent born in Uganda. He thanked voters including "Yemeni bodega owners", "Senegalese taxi drivers", "Uzbek nurses", "Trinidadian line cooks" and "Ethiopian aunties" in his victory speech.

The 34-year-old's historic win - as the city's first South Asian and Muslim mayor - has drawn reactions and messages of solidarity from left-wing organisers and politicians abroad, who have taken up the high-visibility campaign and win at the ballot box as a sign of hope for liberal politics at a time when right-wing populism appears to be on the rise around the world.

In Britain, where an emerging Green Party leader recently said he had been inspired by Mamdani's campaign prowess, several politicians on the Left celebrated the win. London Mayor Sadiq Khan, who has clashed with US President Donald Trump, cheered Mamdani's victory as a win for "hope" in a column for Time, writing: "doubters have predicted the decline of London and New York. But each time we've faced a crisis of confidence, we've emerged even stronger than before."

Like Mamdani, Khan, who is from the centre-left Labour Party, has faced Islamophobic attacks linked to his Muslim identity, including Trump saying in October that Khan is a "terrible mayor" who wants London "to go to sharia law". Jeremy Corbyn, the former Labour Party leader, campaigned for Mamdani in New York at the weekend.