Zohran Mamdanis Historic Win, Historic Quote: NYC Mayor-Elect Cites Nehrus Tryst With Destiny In Victory Speech

Democrat Zohran Mamdani, fresh off his historic election victory to become the next Mayor of New York City, paid tribute to his Indian heritage by quoting one of the most famous speeches in 20th century history: Jawaharlal Nehru’s “Trying with Destiny.”

Addressing his supporters after winning the mayoralty, Mamdani referred to the stirring words spoken by India’s first Prime Minister during the country’s independence in 1947.

Quote from the Architect of Modern India

Mamdani quoted one of the most important sentences in Nehru’s speech, which compared India’s path to independence to New York City’s transition to a new era in politics:

“There comes a moment, which rarely comes in history, when we step from the old into the new, when an era ends and the long-repressed spirit of a nation finds expression,” Mamdani said, adding that tonight “New York stepped out of the old into the new.”

New York City’s newly elected Mayor Zohran Mamdani just quoted Nehru’s immortal Tryst with Destiny speech.

In fact, these words of Nehru were also used by Alex Salmond during his campaign for Scottish independence in November 2013. https://t.co/ERQa8dhiaC pic.twitter.com/WCtUNTcRE7— Jairam Ramesh (@Jairam_Ramesh) November 5, 2025

The original speech was delivered at midnight on August 14, 1947, a time of transition from British colonial rule to a free, independent nation. Here is the full quote: “Many years ago, we had a meeting with destiny. Now, the time has come when we will fulfill our promise. A moment when we step from the old into the new rarely comes in history.

Mamdani Pencils NYC History

The 34-year-old Democratic Socialist won a historic victory to become New York City’s youngest mayor in more than a century. There are several firsts that determined his selection:

New York’s first Muslim Mayor

Mamdani became the first South Asian immigrant to hold the top job, with 50.4 percent of the vote, according to the Associated Press’ latest count. He defeated his main rivals, former Gov. Andrew Cuomo, who was running as an independent, and Republican candidate Curtis Sliwa. The use of a quote from the architect of modern India underscores how deeply Mamdani’s roots and her triumph resonated across the South Asian diaspora.

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