Zohran Mamdani's 5 major campaign promises
Zohran Mamdani, the 33-year-old Democratic running for New York City Mayor is set to make history as the first Muslim nominee to accede to the position. A far cry from former Mayor Eric Adams, Mamdani is projected to be the upcoming voice of the immigrant, working-class population in the city. As of Wednesday (June 25) morning, Mamdani held a substantial lead over opponent Andrew Cuomo out of the 95% ballots counted at that time. New York City mayoral candidate and Democratic State Representative Zohran Mamdani campaigns in New York City on April 16, 2025. (Photo by ANGELA WEISS / AFP)(AFP)
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Mamdani has repeatedly emphasized the need to bring down the racked-up affordability crisis in the city, a strong indicator of his commitment to grassroots-level politics. "This is a city where one in four of its people are living in poverty, a city where 500,000 kids go to sleep hungry every night," he told the BBC at a recent event. "And ultimately, it's a city that is in danger of losing that which makes it so special."
He has proposed to introduce a chain of city-owned grocery stores, a rent freeze on all rent-stabilized units, stricter accountability for landlords, and the creation of a Social Housing Development Agency to oversee the construction of 200,000 subsidized housing units over a three-year period. Community benefits
In addition, Mamdani has also promised universal childcare for kids aged six weeks to five years. Higher education will be made more affordable by eliminating tuition fees at public colleges and removing property tax exemptions extended to private universities. He also plans to set up a Department of Community Safety meant to enhance public safety measures such as housing assistance, community outreach, and mental health service providers. Increase taxation
In order to implement the proposed measures, Mamdani is willing to introduce a 2% city income tax on citizens earning more than $1 million along with an increase in corporate taxes. This additional income is meant to support universal childcare, tuition-free public college (CUNY/ SUNY), expansion of tenant legal support, free public transport, and subsidized grocery stores. Infrastructure and amenities
In addition to the subsidized housing facilities, Mamdani has also proposed a plan to make all MTA buses fare-free and freeze subway fares. These measures are meant to increase ridership on these modes of transport, introduce climate protection, cut back on congestion pricing, and provide better infrastructure for those using pedestrian or cycling lanes. Immigration, LGBTQ+ rights and hate crimes
Mamdani's views on Israel and Palestine have been a source of contention but also unprecedented due to their open declaration. As a vocal supporter of the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) movement, he has repeatedly called Israel's actions a 'genocide' and believes that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu should be imprisoned. While he recognizes the country's legitimacy to exist, he also emphasizes their need to uphold international law and condones all such violence. Previously, he introduced a bill to remove the tax-exempt status granted to certain New York-based charities with ties to Israeli settlements.
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He is an active supporter of LGBTQ+ rights and plans to set up a special Affairs Office, extend access to gender-affirming healthcare, and grant sanctuary protection to undocumented workers. Granting legal aid and language access to immigrants is another cornerstone of his policy. He has also been quite vocal about emphasizing his Muslim identity throughout the campaign, even recording an entire campaign video in Urdu.
The election took place on Tuesday (June 24) and if elected, Mamdani will come to office in November of this year. By Stuti Gupta
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Time of India
17 minutes ago
- Time of India
Random Musing: Why some Indian liberals are celebrating Zohran Mamdani — and think he is the new Obama
Zohran Mamdani's elevation as the Democrats' New York Mayoral candidate was oddly reminiscent of Daredevil: Born Again , the brutal Netflix show retrofitted to fit into the Kevin Feige Marvel Cinematic Universe. Most aficionados consider the original Daredevil series to be one of the finest comic shows of all time, with gritty realism, Catholic guilt, a banging opening theme, and a main character who, despite being blind, always manages to hook up with the best-looking member of the opposite sex — making one wonder if that is his actual superpower. It was, to quote Homelander, absolutely perfect. While Born Again fails to hit the heights of the original, it's still better than most of the muck being passed off as content from Marvel (looking at you, Brave New World). In the show, Wilson Fisk leaves behind a life of crime to become the Mayor of New York, while Matt Murdock hangs up his cowl and life mission to beat every villain to within an inch of his life to instead become a lawyer. But if life teaches us one thing, it's that one can never rebel against one's basic programming — as Fisk slowly returns to his criminal ways and Murdock to his vigilante instincts. What made the parallel uncanny was that Zohran Mamdani himself looked like he'd stepped out of that world. With his straggly-yet-cultivated beard and moody intensity, he almost resembles an ethnic Matt Murdock. And like Wilson Fisk, he wants to rule the city he loves but prefers viral TikTok reels to violence. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Milano: AudioNova cerca per un test 700 persone nate prima del 1974 AudioNova Undo While he has just become the Democratic nominee for now, his dismantling of the working corpse known as Andrew Cuomo has been celebrated with more gusto in the neighbourhoods of SoBo and DefCol than in the boroughs of New York. One reason for the celebration is that his win — however unrelated to the upper-class anglicised elite of India — is seen as a sort of personal validation of their crypto-political stance. The ones whom stand-up comedian Varun Grover describes performing liberalism by buying a ukulele and learning how to play Hum Dekhenge . Mamdani's ascent was immediately met with applause from the usual suspects, who couldn't name their own MLA with a gun to their head but are more bothered about who turns up on their Instagram reels. Some hailed his win (of a nomination, not as mayor) as a resounding symbol of multi-faith culturalism in Trumpian America, and a lesson India needed to learn — where apparently an 'inter-faith' kid could never come to power. Despite India already having presidents, PMs, and VPs from every major faith. And in contrast, Britain and America, two very old democracies, have only had one non-white premier each. Now why does this delusion exist. One hypothesis is that's because of two things: The Higgins-Macaulay Complex The Obama Delusion The Higgins-Macaulay Complex Mamdani's win is a testament to what one might call the Henry Higgins Delusion. While explaining to Eliza Doolittle the importance of speaking properly, Higgins claims: 'I know your head aches; I know you're tired; I know your nerves are as raw as meat in a butcher's window. But think what you're trying to accomplish. Think what you're dealing with. The majesty and grandeur of the English language, it's the greatest possession we have. The noblest thoughts that ever flowed through the hearts of men are contained in its extraordinary, imaginative, and musical mixtures of sounds. And that's what you've set yourself out to conquer Eliza. And conquer it you will.' It's the same delusion of Lord Babington Macaulay who claimed: 'A single shelf of a good European library was worth the whole native literature of India and Arabia.' That's why the proverbial progenitors of that legacy are derisively labelled Macaulayputra, a class of Indian who just look Indian but see the world through an Englishman's eyes, who believe that spoken English, when delivered with the correct polish and cadence, is god's gift to mankind. For a while, this Western-educated class were the ones who had access to power, leading to the delusion that fluency in English was necessary for fluency in governance. But while that currency has crashed, and knowing English is no proof of anything, other than the fact that you just know a language. Slowly, post-liberalisation, and the rise of the new temples of modern India, like the IITs and IIMs, access to English no longer remained the preserve of the elite. However, the clipped accent still hung around, as did the delusion that it's an access to power. They seek out eloquent figures in other countries and build them up as avatars of their lost relevance. Mamdani fits this fantasy perfectly. He speaks the way they wish Indian voters rewarded. But they don't. Not anymore. The Obama Delusion The other reason for our liberal brethren finding meaning in election results across the world and not India is what one calls the Obama Delusion. There's no doubt that Barack Hussein Obama — an inter-faith kid and global citizen like Zohran Mamdani — was the last great charismatic liberal leader in the post-WWII order. Of course, without Obama there would be no Trump but now with a lack of charismatic leaders who can marry the many contradictions of the liberal order, almost every politician is raised to an Obama-like profile. The prognosis follows a simple trajectory: Identify a slightly popular political leader. If you can't find one, rally around a cricketer or actor. Build them up in your head to the point that you think they are Barack Obama, the patron saint of global liberals. Project your own political helplessness into their lives, and believe that their wins are ours. They have done enough of that in India, and often do that outside India. With politicians like Jacinda Ardern, Justin Trudeau, and Zohran Mamdani. Of course, there's nothing wrong in that, and as Bertrand Russell explained in Power: A New Social Analysis, a follower follows a leader simply because they believe they imbibe the qualities of that leader. And Mamdani is the new Obama (which he is) but not in the way my desi liberal brethren think. Many Indian liberals have turned Mamdani into their favourite imported political fantasy — despite understanding neither New York nor Mamdani. Their reaction isn't rooted in ideology or data or even solidarity. It's based on projection. On aesthetic resonance. Mamdani speaks English the way they wish a politician in India did — fluid, international, urbane. He says 'housing justice' with the confidence of someone who's never said paani nahi aa raha. He makes snappy campaign reels. He speaks like a Substack, looks like a Sundance submission, and embodies everything Indian liberals have failed to find in a politician close home. But if you scrape past the filters, things look very different. As geneticist and blogger Razib Khan explained on X, Mamdani pulled an Obama by fusing wine-track whites immigrant Asians, much like Obama did with whites and black voters. As another user, Armand Domalewski explained: 'It is funny that both Zohran's haters and his fans are deeply committed to the idea he won on the backs of a multiracial working-class coalition when his strongest soldiers were college-educated, $100k+ income white guys.' In short, Mamdani didn't win because he's the face of the poor. He won because he's the algorithmic avatar of the liberal creative class. And that's precisely why Indian liberals love him. They too have no real mass base. They too are deeply online. And they too long for a politics that is less about persuasion and more about aesthetic affirmation. Mamdani, to them, is aspirational — not ideologically, but socio-linguistically. The irony, of course, is that Mamdani's politics, if implemented in India, would be dismissed by the same elite as 'economic illiteracy.' His ideas — rent freezes, free public buses, universal childcare, city-run grocery stores — would be mocked as communist nostalgia if proposed in Delhi. But wrapped in New York branding and TikTok transitions, it becomes romantic. Revolutionary, even. As economist and writer Noah Smith explains in a Substack post, the actual policy is economically brittle. Rent control would choke supply. City-run grocery stores are bureaucratic disasters waiting to happen. Noah Smith's takedown of Mamdani's policies is worth quoting here. While Mamdani talks eloquently about 'outcomes,' 'abundance,' and 'efficiency,' the actual policy slate is economically brittle. Rent control, Smith warns, will choke supply. City-run grocery stores are a bureaucratic disaster waiting to happen. The housing construction target of 200,000 units over 10 years is slower than past decades. Free childcare is noble but ruinously expensive. Free buses are politically popular but fiscally unsustainable. The vibe is Scandinavian. The budget is not. Even his most reasonable rhetoric — about public excellence, innovation, and removing red tape — sounds eerily like classic technocrat-speak. The kind that Indian liberals usually deride when it comes from NITI Aayog. But Mamdani wraps it in DSA branding and a postcolonial surname, and suddenly it becomes cool. As for the Israel controversy — he's not the extremist his critics claim. But he's also not immune to strategic ambiguity. His past defences of slogans like 'Globalise the Intifada' have hurt him, and his attempt to reframe the term as non-violent was — at best — intellectually dishonest. It hasn't helped the Palestinians. It has fed into America's Jewish anxieties. It's a misstep, and one that could haunt his broader electability. But none of this matters to his Indian fanbase. Because their politics isn't about consequences — it's about catharsis. Mamdani may or may not become mayor. But in the mind of the Indian liberal elite, he already is. Not because he represents what they want for India — but because he reminds them of what India no longer wants from them. Eloquence without mass support. Style without sweat. Surnames without soil. But here's the rub. Mamdani's rise says very little about America. And even less about India. It says everything about a certain class of Indians who no longer matter — but still speak as if they do. And like Daredevil: Born Again, the series doesn't end with a quiet retirement or a courtroom win — it ends with Murdock setting up an army. An underground network. A long war to come. Time will tell how far Zohran Mamdani goes in American politics. At this point he's certainly more camera-friendly than Kamala Harris, whose vacillating accents and out-of-context cackle alienated both Indians and Blacks. Could he become Mayor? Probably, because New York is a uniquely left-of-centre city. Meanwhile, MAGA stalwarts are having a laugh thinking that Mamdani's win shows the Democrats don't know what their party is anymore. That may be true but they should remember one thing. In 2015, people used to laugh at Donald Trump as well.
India Today
18 minutes ago
- India Today
Usman Khawaja snubs broadcasters after firing of pro-Palestine reporter: Reports
Australian opener Usman Khawaja made headlines off the field on Wednesday as he refused a routine post-day interview with SEN Radio following Day 1 of the Barbados Test against West Indies — a silent yet strong statement in response to the network's earlier dismissal of cricket journalist Peter who top-scored for Australia with a gritty 47 on a challenging day at Kensington Oval, was asked by team media manager Cole Hitchcock to speak with SEN commentators Bharat Sundaresan and Adam Collins. The interview, standard practice for standout performers after each day's play, was to be pre-recorded near the boundary moments before the interview could begin, Khawaja noticed the SEN logo on the microphone. Without a word, he raised his hand to decline and walked away, leaving the commentators and viewers watching the feed slightly surprised. Sources close to the team confirmed that Khawaja's refusal stemmed from SEN's controversial sacking of Peter Lalor earlier this year. The veteran cricket writer had been pulled from the broadcaster's coverage midway through Australia's tour of Sri Lanka in February, shortly after sharing posts on social media that expressed solidarity with Palestinians amid the ongoing conflict in social media activity included reposts about Israeli airstrikes and the release of Palestinian prisoners — content that reportedly led SEN to part ways with him. The decision sparked criticism within journalism and cricket circles, especially amongst those advocating for press freedom and human who has publicly supported Palestinian civilians and spoken against the humanitarian crisis in Gaza, has previously faced restrictions from cricket's governing bodies. Late last year, the ICC barred him from wearing peace messages on his playing gear, citing their political nature — a ruling Khawaja respectfully disagreed is the first time Khawaja has come face-to-face with SEN's broadcast team since Lalor's dismissal, and his quiet refusal spoke volumes.- Ends
Mint
21 minutes ago
- Mint
Tom Homan to Zohran Mamdani: ‘Game on' after NYC Mayoral hopeful's anti-ICE agenda
US President Donald Trump's Border Czar Tom Homan delivered a fiery response to NYC mayoral candidate Zohran Mamdani's vow to expel ICE from city facilities, warning the progressive Democrat that the federal government is ready to escalate operations in sanctuary cities like New York. 'It's game on,' Homan said bluntly speaking with Fox News, a day after Mamdani declared victory in the Democratic primary over former New York Governor Andrew Cuomo. Mamdani, 33, a state assemblyman from Queens and Democratic socialist, has made immigration policy a core pillar of his mayoral campaign. 'Zohran Mamdani will fight Trump's attempts to gouge the working class and deliver a city where everyone can afford a dignified life,' his campaign website declares. 'He'll ensure our immigrant New Yorkers are protected by strengthening our sanctuary city apparatus: getting ICE out of all city facilities and ending any cooperation, increasing legal support, and protecting all personal data.' He has vowed to 'Trump-proof' New York City, accusing the President of using ICE to 'pluck New Yorkers from their families.' Homan dismissed Mamdani's promises as political rhetoric with no legal standing. 'Federal law trumps him every day, every hour of every minute,' Homan said. 'We're going to be in New York City, matter of fact, because it's a sanctuary city and President Trump made it clear a week and a half ago — we're going to double down and triple down on sanctuary cities.' The former ICE director said New York is now a top priority for immigration enforcement due to its sanctuary policies. 'We're going to concentrate in sanctuary cities because we know they're releasing public safety threats and national security threats back to the street,' Homan explained. 'So we know we've got a problem there.' He added, 'Not only are we going to send more agents to the neighborhood, we are going to increase worksite enforcement tenfold.' Homan contrasted the situation in New York with Florida, where, he said, local law enforcement cooperates fully with ICE. 'We don't have that problem in Florida, where the sheriffs work with us,' he said. 'So we're going to double up and triple up on New York.'
