‘Did you vote for Zohran Mamdani': How Indian-origin mayoral candidate is becoming the dealbreaker for online dating in New York

Time of India

3 hours ago

'Did you swipe right on Zohran Mamdani?'
Whether you're 'The Wolf of Wall Street' guy or a 'Materialists' girl – this one's the question that's becoming the driving force and deciding factor in New York City's dating scene!
Don't believe us?
Keep reading!
The 'Swipe'ing factor:
No, we ain't kidding – New York City's 'hottest' mayoral nominee is now literally making the dating-app rounds: 'Did you vote for Zohran Mamdani?' doubles as 'Did you swipe right for Zohran?' With charisma that jumps off the screen, a Bollywood-inspired, millennial-coded, and Gen-Z-coded campaign video in Hindi, and even a self-recorded plunge into Coney Island's frigid waters, Mamdani has become the unexpected magnet of NYC's dating scene.
Between rent freezes and free bus rides, millennials (and Gen‑Zs) are buzzing – not just about policies, but about him. Him being a 33-year-old 'man written by a woman' (of course, he is Mira Nair's son!), with a relatable approach and a dimple right at the corner of his eyes – when he smiles his heart out – are just some extra brownie points to flex!
From campaigns to cancelled plans:
The fact that the first South Asian, Muslim guy – who also happens to be the child of immigrants – is set to make history by most likely becoming the youngest mayor of New York City isn't just a political issue; it's an era-defining moment in NYC's modern history!
And why something so integral to living, like love, would be excluded from the narrative!
As it turns out, it's not excluded; rather – it's becoming a deciding factor.
Murray Hill Guy, the well-known social media influencer and fitness enthusiast, recently allowed a peek at a potential date – that ended up in a fiasco!
Sharing a screenshot, Murray Hill Guy wrote, 'Dating in NYC summed up,' while the conversation between two people went like this:
'Hey just confirming still good for tonight?? See ya at 8:30 at Little Rebel?'
'Hey! Yes that still works! I did just want to ask one thing to make sure we are on the same page and not waste time! Did you vote for Zohran for mayor? I'm really excited he won.'
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Next thing we see a text indicating that the reservation at Little Rebel has been cancelled!
Murray Hill Guy didn't leave us hanging; he came back with updates.
Once the other person, 'Julia – Laila', as per the contact name visible on the screenshot, received the intimation of the reservation being cancelled, she hit back with, 'Glad we didn't waste each other's time! I also now have seen you posted this screenshot on twitter.
Your page is disgusting. If you do not delete your post I'm going to the police. I don't need this in my life right now this week has been insanely stressful.
'
Murray Hill Guy posted this screenshot, with the caption, 'if you don't hear from me, the terrorists won.'
Hold on, that's not all.
Murray Hill Guy didn't take the blow and responded to Julia with, 'Didn't you just vote to defund the police now you want to call them over a twitter post? Good luck,' to which she replied, 'Please do not message or contact me again.
I have reported your posts to the police. You will also be hearing from my lawyer.'
Now, Murray Hill Guy is back to seeking legal advice and shooting his shot – yet again – via his X account.
Some of those X posts go like: 'Well since I'm free now. Are any beautiful ladies free tonight at 8:30,' 'There is no better feeling in the world than making a beautiful woman laugh/giggle after saying something that may have been a bit sexist or racist.'
Now, it's really up to you to figure out whether Murray Hill Guy dodged a bullet or the girl in question, Julia, did.
The social media verdict:
While Murray Hill Guy's X feed blew up with reactions from an amused and confused herd of followers, one of them was still in disbelief that this happened, which was apparent from his response – 'No way this is real!'
Some internet users responded with, 'You have redeemed yourself brother,' 'lol - you dodged a bullet,' 'Good Lord! At least she let you know.
Saved you time and money.'
Some even imparted some dating advice to Murray Hill Guy, saying, 'Mistake to cancel. Need to talk to these people with compassion and present a different perspective to them.'
While the discourse on perspective and compassion is still on – here's a bit of fact-checking that should be put forth, because context.
While Mamdani was among a group of candidates who explicitly backed the 'Defund the police' rhetoric during the George Floyd protests, in April this year, he rolled out a public safety proposal calling for the creation of a 'Department of Community Safety' to replace police in responding to mental health and social service calls, effectively reallocating roughly $600 million from existing NYPD-related programs.
Love is… political?
Turns out, in a democratic socialist's book – it is.
Although Mamdani recently revealed that his own love story has been pretty Gen-Z-coded, as he found the love of his life – his wife, Rama Duwaji – on a dating app called Hinge, the 33-year-old public representative's idea of love is also rooted in his beliefs and aspirations for the future.
When Kaneez asked him how to find love in NYC, Mamdani didn't hesitate to connect the dots and made his point, saying, 'I think we also need to give people more time. A lot of New Yorkers are basically on a hamster wheel of anxiety! There's not much time to sit in the park, to explore your own city. If you're always worried about if you have enough money to make your rent, enough money to pay for your metro card… the love of your life, may currently be stressed about whether they can afford the most expensive city in the United States to find you!' He finishes it off by saying, 'Affordability is about romance!'
And if Mamdani is preaching it, why would his army of volunteers and supporters think anything otherwise – even if that meant a couple of cancelled date nights!
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