City Mayor and the Political Sphere: The Indian Experience

The election of 34-year-old ‘young’ Zohran Mamdani as the mayor of the most populous city of the USA, and its financial capital, has invited the world’s who’s who talking, not about New York, but about the person. Who is the person? Son of the famous filmmaker Mira Nair and academic Mahmood Mamdani, who were settled in Uganda till they shifted to New York.

Mahmood Mamdani is the Herbert Lehman professor of government in Columbia University. The internationally celebrated filmography of Nair includes Monsoon Wedding (2001), the Academy Award-nominated Salaam Bombay! (1988), and Mississippi Masala (1991).

Zohran Mamdani's parents are of South Asian descent. So, India runs in their blood, obviously in the blood for Mamdani too. The wagging tongues in India are referring to the Indian descent of this young mayor of New York, who had wowed the Americans before he got elected. But Mamdani, a Muslim, cannot but be talked about for his religion in today’s India. The argument is that Mamdani openly spoke more about his religion than the nationality. Hence, he is an Islamist and misogynist! The first charge becomes admissible because he spoke of what religion he belongs to, though his father is a Muslim and mother is not, but not sure where the second comes from. Be that as it may, Mamdani will be inaugurated as the mayor of USA’s richest city 1 January 2026.

I shall not be surprised if following a few years in his four-year term, murmurs will begin regarding his elevation for a higher elected position, any for which he would be eligible for. It will depend upon his position in the ranks of the Democratic Party in times to come, particularly after he completes his tenure. Since a naturalised citizen that Mamdani is, he is ineligible to contest for the highest position, i.e., the President of the USA, he can at least contest for Governor of a state within the constitutional requirements.

But being talked about for being elected the mayor of the financial capital of the US is no mean achievement, for mayor of a city such as New York is an important elected functionary, which situates a politician holding a mayoral office outstandingly for a long political journey.

It is important to state here that after the American Revolution, the practice of the local electorate choosing governing councils in almost every American municipality began and was institutionalised. State governments began issuing municipal charters, and this system, which included an elected mayor as the chief executive and an elected council as the legislative body, was used by nearly all American cities until the early 20th century.

The Indian Case

Does a mayoral office give such an important political spot to an Indian politician? Looking at the office historically, we can record and analyse events only since the British colonial government allowed the offices and institutions to be shared by the Indian leaders. Also, how much power was given to an office that was permitted to be shared by Indian leaders? As Indians were offered participation in elected offices, the city councils were the first ones in which they were accommodated.

Even though municipal corporation in Madras (now Chennai) was established in 1688, followed by Bombay (now Mumbai) and Calcutta (now Kolkata) in 1726, Sir Pherozeshah Mehta, served as a Municipal Commissioner in Bombay (now Mumbai) in 1873; he served as the Chairman of Bombay Municipal Corporation in 1884-86) and as President in 1905, 1911.

In 1921, Jawaharlal Nehru was elected chairman of Allahabad municipality. From him we get an honest record of the politics of urban government. He has devoted a chapter to ‘Municipal Work’ in his autobiography. His narrative describing his experience of municipal work deserves to be quoted here to show how the local politics worked. He writes:

"Most Indian cities can be divided into two parts: the densely crowded city proper, the widespread area with bungalows and cottages, each with a fairly extensive compound or garden, usually referred to by the English as ‘Civil Lines’. It is in these Civil Lines that the English Officials and businessmen, as well as many upper middle class, professional men, officials, etc., live. The income of the municipality from the city proper is greater than that from the Civil Lines, but the expenditure on the latter far exceeds the city expenditure…. The city part is always grossly neglected, and, of course, the poorer parts of the city are almost ignored; it has few good roads, and most of the narrow lanes are ill-lit and have no proper drainage or sanitation system. It puts up with all these disabilities patiently and seldom complains; and when it does complain nothing much happens. Newly all the big noises and little noises live in the Civil Lines.

To equalise the burden a little and to encourage movements I wanted to introduce a tax on land values. But hardly had I made the suggestion when a protest came from a government official, I think it was District Magistrate, who pointed out that this would be in contravention of various enactments or conditions of land tenure. Such a tax would obviously have fallen more heavily on the owners of the bungalows in the Civil Lines."

We could be sure that this trend was not special to the British India, or India of the present times, and would be applicable to most parts of the world.

Vallabhbhai Patel also had his share of municipal responsibilities. He was a member of Ahmedabad city council from 1917 to 1922. Over 360 teachers who had participated in the national movement at his inspiration had put their jobs at stake. He stood by them. After the February 1922 suspension of the municipality, some 160 teachers out of the total of 360 left the municipality and joined schools started by Vallabhbhai and his friends.

"A People’s Primary Education Association, or the Kelavani Mandal, was formed to run the new schools. Within weeks the Mandal, which charged no fees and paid its teachers out of donations, had more pupils on its rolls than the municipality," Rajmohan Gandhi writes.

Equally significant was the election of Chittaranjan Das as the first mayor of the Calcutta Municipal Corporation. He served a short term as mayor from 16 April 1924, until his death on June 16, 1925. It was result of a significant election victory for the Swaraj Party, which he founded. Later during the 1930s and 1940s several leaders adorned the office of mayor or served in the city councils in Presidency cities and in others.

However, since the local governments in India since independence have not been strong and effective enough, the office of the mayor has not been significant enough. Some of the leaders such as Maharashtra chief minister Devendra Fadnavis have served as a mayor (Nagpur) before they were elected as a minister or chief minister.

In any case, the election of Mamdani as the New York Mayor is significant in various respects. It is important to look at it not only from his lineage, but to the way he charmed the voters with his constructive programme.

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