The Instagram Politician: Zohran Mamdani's Rise And What It Reveals About American Politics

As New York City votes for its mayor on November 4th, one candidate has sparked conversations far beyond American shores—Zohran Mamdani, a 34-year-old Democratic Socialist assemblyman whose campaign has become a case study in modern political strategy and ideological positioning.

Political commentator and columnist Sunanda Vashisht explains 'The Zohran Mamdani Phenomenon' on Swarajya's podcast 'What This Means.'

The Political Outsider Seeking A Constituency

Zohran Mamdani's political journey follows a familiar pattern: an outsider searching for a constituency to call his own. Born and raised in Uganda and the United States, Mamdani is the son of postcolonial literature professor Mahmood Mamdani and filmmaker Mira Nair. Despite this privileged background — attending expensive private college and walking red carpets at 17 alongside his mother — he has positioned himself as a champion of the working class.

"When you are an outsider and when you are trying to make your way up in electoral politics, whether it's in India, the United States, in any democracy, you are looking for a constituency that will appeal to you most," explains Sunanda Vashisht. Mamdani found his niche by aligning with the far-left wing of the Democratic Party, calling himself a "Democratic Socialist" and associating with figures like Bernie Sanders and Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez.

The Anti-Modi Rhetoric: Strategic Politics or Genuine Belief?

Mamdani's controversial statements about the BJP and PM Modi have drawn particular attention. He has claimed that there are "no Muslims left in Gujarat" after the 2002 riots, and recently he called Prime Minister Narendra Modi a "war criminal"— statements he made while visiting Hindu temples in New York City during Diwali celebrations.

These provocative claims appear to be part of a calculated political strategy. Having identified himself clearly and openly as a Muslim American—never mentioning his Hindu mother's faith or his mixed religious heritage—Mamdani has positioned himself to appeal to specific voter blocs. "He has to create an enemy, and that enemy has to be Narendra Modi, that enemy has to be Benjamin Netanyahu—those traditional villains of the left," Vashisht notes.

The fact that Mamdani has claimed every identity available to him — African (despite not being ethnically African), South Asian, Muslim — while completely negating his Hindu identity is particularly instructive. "He is 50% Hindu. He has a Hindu mother, and yet he has not claimed that. That is very revealing," Vashisht observes.

Mamdani's political positioning extends beyond rhetoric. He has shared photos with Brooklyn Imam Siraj Wahaj, an unindicted co-conspirator in the 1993 World Trade Center bombing. In a 2017 rap song titled "Salaam," he praised members of the Holy Land Foundation who were convicted of providing material support to Hamas.

His response to 9/11 is equally telling. Rather than focusing on the victims, his way of sympathising was claiming his aunt "wept and could not travel in New York's subways because she wore a hijab". This worldview exemplifies what Vashisht describes as "a classic combination of left and Islamist ideology."

The Hollowing Out of America's Political Center

Mamdani's rise represents something larger than one candidate's ambitions — it reflects the extreme polarisation gripping American politics. "The center in both parties has completely hollowed out, whether it's Republicans or Democrats," Vashisht explains. "There are no centrists left anymore. Centrist suddenly have no constituencies anymore."

On one extreme is Trump's MAGA faction of the Republican Party. On the other is the Democratic Socialist wing that Mamdani represents. This polarisation means traditional moderate voices have been squeezed out, leaving voters to choose between increasingly radical alternatives.

In New York City's mayoral race, this dynamic is especially apparent. The Democratic establishment's choice to oppose Mamdani was Andrew Cuomo — a disgraced former governor who resigned in 2021 amid sexual harassment complaints and accusations of hiding COVID data. "Cuomo looks like a dinosaur in front of him," Vashisht says, drawing a parallel to Hillary Clinton facing Trump in 2016. When establishment figures carry too much baggage, fresh faces — regardless of their qualifications — become attractive alternatives.

Campaigning On Point

Whatever his ideological positions, Mamdani has run a remarkably effective campaign that political observers acknowledge is "on mark." His strategy has several key components:

Social Media Dominance: Mamdani is "completely an Instagram politician. His entire campaign has been through TikTok and Instagram," while his opponents "cannot spell Instagram." He has appeared on popular podcasts like Fragrant with comedians Andrew Schulz and Akash Singh, and The Daily Show, garnering millions of views. His campaign has successfully created a new constituency — younger voters under 40 who had never voted before, along with South Asian, Muslim, Bangladeshi, and Latino communities.

Clever Use Of Public Financing: New York City's public financing programme matches small donations up to $250 at an 8-to-1 ratio—meaning a $10 donation becomes $80 in campaign funds. While Mamdani reportedly has backing from major left-wing donors (George Soros's name has been alleged), he strategically pursued these small donations not primarily for money, but to reach more people. Each small donation gave him an opportunity for direct voter contact.

Ground Game and Accessibility: Mamdani travels everywhere via mass transit — subways and buses — talking to people and asking for small donations. This door-to-door campaigning allowed him to connect with ordinary New Yorkers in ways his more established opponents couldn't match. He has been visible, accessible, and relentless in his ground campaign.

Message Consistency: Whether or not his proposals are feasible, Mamdani has stayed on message about Islamophobia, Palestine, rent freezes, affordable housing, free transit, and free childcare. This consistency has resonated with voters, even if the solutions he proposes are questionable.

Mamdani's platform reads like a progressive wish list:

• Rent freeze: Prohibiting landlords from increasing rents

The problems with these proposals are numerous. Rent freezes face legal obstacles and can reduce housing supply by discouraging new construction. Free transit would require massive revenue from somewhere. And during his time as a New York State Assemblyman, Mamdani "did nothing" to advance any of these causes — he is "just talking."

"He's a very potent mixture of Arvind Kejriwal and Kavita Krishnan of CPIML and Asaduddin Owaisi," Vashisht observes, referencing Kejriwal's populist promises in Delhi, the communist ideology of Krishnan, and Owaisi's Muslim identity politics.

Like Tejashwi Yadav promising government jobs to every family in Bihar without explaining where they'll come from, Mamdani is making promises he likely cannot keep. But the promises resonate because the problems are real. "Unaffordability is an issue in New York City. People having to live 60, 70 miles away from where they work is a real issue. Expensive childcare where both parents cannot work because one person has to take care of the child because the childcare is so expensive is a real ground issue."

The Limits Of A New York Mayor

If Mamdani wins, what can he actually do? Less than many assume. "A mayor does not have the right to influence foreign policy of the country or the defense policy," Vashisht clarifies. The position's jurisdiction is limited to city matters, and even many of his proposed policies would require cooperation from New York State government in Albany.

For India specifically, there is little to worry about. "His writ and his jurisdiction only is on what he can really do—destroy New York City," Vashisht says bluntly. While his anti-Modi rhetoric will likely continue — he sees a long political career for himself ahead — he won't be able to affect US-India relations or broader foreign policy.

What he can do is implement his progressive agenda locally, potentially with disastrous results. When you raise taxes dramatically, businesses and investment flee. When you freeze rents, housing supply shrinks. We have seen the result of Karnataka's experience with similar populist promises.

An Obama-Like Charm Meets Kejriwal-Like Promises

Mamdani possesses what observers describe as an "Obama-like charm"— young, articulate, social media savvy, and speaking to real issues even if his solutions are flawed.

The combination of his personal appeal, masterful use of social media, effective ground campaign, clever use of public financing rules, and the weakness of his opposition has created what appears to be an unstoppable momentum. Most analysts believe he has a very strong chance of winning the election.

What This Means For American Democracy

Zohran Mamdani's likely victory represents both the promise and peril of contemporary democratic politics. On one hand, it shows that a relative newcomer without establishment backing can use modern tools and grassroots organising to compete against entrenched power. On the other hand, it demonstrates how polarisation, weak opposition, and the erosion of the political center can elevate candidates with extreme views and limited experience to positions of significant power.

His rise is instructive for students of politics everywhere — from his strategic construction of a political identity to his exploitation of genuine grievances, from his mastery of new media to his door-to-door organising. Whether he can actually govern effectively, deliver on his promises, or avoid running New York City "to the ground" remains to be seen.

What is clear is that Mamdani represents a new generation of politician — one that understands that in the age of Instagram and TikTok, identity politics and provocative statements, personal charm and grassroots organising, the rules of political success have fundamentally changed. Whether that change is for better or worse, New Yorkers are about to find out.