 "From Trump to Kangana, why no one likes Zohran Mamdani, the NYC mayoral candidate")
Zohran Mamdani on Wednesday claimed victory in the Democratic primary for New York Mayor.
Mamdani, 33, a self-described socialist born in Uganda, is the son of Indian filmmaker Mira Nair.
Many have described Mamdani’s victory in New York City’s Democratic primary as a political earthquake.
If elected, he would be New York’s first Muslim and Indian-American mayor.
Yet, everyone from Congress MP Abhishek Manu Singhvi to US President Donald Trump is training their guns at Mamdani.
But what are people saying? And why is Mamdani such a divisive figure?
Let’s take a closer look
What are people saying?
Trump took to social media to slam Mamdani’s victory.
“It’s finally happened, the Democrats have crossed the line. Zohran Mamdani, a 100% Communist Lunatic, has just won the Dem Primary, and is on his way to becoming Mayor. We’ve had Radical Lefties before, but this is getting a little ridiculous,” Trump wrote.
“He’s not very smart, he’s got AOC+3, Dummies ALL, backing him, and even our Great Palestinian Senator, Cryin’ Chuck Schumer, is groveling over him," Trump added. “With our future Communist Mayor of New York City, Zohran Mamdani…our Country is really screwed.”
Congress MP Abhishek Manu Singhvi added his voice to the criticism.
“When Zohran Mamdani opens his mouth, Pakistan’s PR team takes the day off. India doesn’t need enemies with ‘allies’ like him shouting fiction from New York,” Singhvi wrote on social media.
Never to be left out of the discourse, actress Kangana Ranaut too threw in her take.
“His mother is Mira Nair, one of our best filmmakers, Padmashri , a beloved and celebrated daughter born and raised in great Bharat based in Newyork, she married Mehmood Mamdani ( Gujarati origin) a celebrated author, and obviously son is named Zohran, he sounds more Pakistani than Indian,” Ranaut wrote.
“Whatever happened to his Hindu identity or bloodline, and now he is ready to wipe out Hinduism, wow!! It’s the same story everywhere. On a different note met Mira ji on a couple of occasions. Congratulations to the parents”.
Why is Mamdani such a divisive figure?
Many people are worried about what it could mean if Mamdani – an unapologetic socialist, populist and progressive – becomes the Mayor of New York.
Mamdani has campaigned on freezing the rent, making housing, healthcare and food more affordable, free childcare, raising the taxes on the wealthy and raising the minimum wage to $30 by 2030.
These policies are completely opposed to those what the right and far-right believe is good for America.
However, his views have also left centrist Democrats, liberals and others in the party kowtowing to big business, billionaires and Wall Street also alarmed.
Which is why bunch of heavy hitters within the Democratic Party, from James Clyburn to former president Bill Clinton, came out against Mamdani – to no avail.
Mamdani’s win shows that many of these heavyweights of the Democratic Party are completely out of touch with their base in the Trump era and that their influence and relevance is fading fast.
Mamdani’s views on Israel – whom he has accused of committing a ‘genocide’ in Gaza – his support of the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) movement does not sit well with many Republicans and some Democrats.
Thus far, many lawmakers and leaders in the Democratic Party and Republican Party have been trying to outdo each other when it comes to who can be a bigger supporter of Israel and its conduct during the Gaza war.
Though many figures in the middle and the right tried to paint Mamdani as anti-Semitic for his views on Israel and Gaza, it seems voters in the Democratic primary in New York – which incidentally is home to a huge Jewish population – thought otherwise.
Mamdani’s remarks on ‘globalising the intifada’ on a podcast did not go down well, with many accusing him of trying to foment violence against Muslims.
It must be noted that Mamdani has repeatedly said that violence has no place in civil discourse and condemned anti-Semitism.
Mamdani is also a staunch supporter of LGBTQ rights and gender-affirming care – which again puts him at odds with Republicans some in his own party who have tried to run away from the issue in order to win the so-called moderate and swing voters over from Republicans.
The Republicans and Trump himself are also alarmed at what it could mean if a charismatic young politician were to emerge – as Barack Obama did in 2008 – that could recreate his coalition.
Trump privately has already singled out Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (AOC) as one to watch for the future as a presidential candidate.
Some leaders also accused Mamdani of “communal and anti-Hindu rhetoric” and trying to pit Hindus and Muslims against each other.
He has also been accused of being a ‘Modi hater’.
“This is someone who we should view in the same manner that we do Benjamin Netanyahu. This is a war criminal,” Mamdani said at a rally in in May 2025.
With inputs from agencies
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