The victory of two celebrities of Indian origin, Ghazala Hashmi and Zohran Mamdani in America has not only written a new chapter in the politics there but has also awakened a sense of pride in India. Both the leaders have won the hearts of the American people on the basis of their hard work and principles.

61-year-old Ghazala Hashmi has created history by winning the post of Lieutenant Governor in the state of Virginia. She is the first Muslim and woman of South Asian origin to reach this post. He defeated Republican candidate John Reed by a wide margin. As soon as the results were announced after the voting held on November 4, there was a flood of congratulations on social media and political circles.

Journey from Hyderabad to America

Ghazala was born in 1964 in Hyderabad. His father Tanveer Hashmi and mother Jiya Hashmi were associated with the field of education. Ghazala went to America with her family when she was just 4 years old. His early years were spent in Malakpet, Hyderabad. At that time his father was doing PhD in International Relations at the University of Georgia, America.

Affiliation with Aligarh Muslim University

Tanveer Hashmi had a deep connection with Aligarh Muslim University (AMU). He completed his MA and LLB from here. Later, he went to America and started teaching in the university and later established the International Education Center, from where he retired from the post of director.

Ghazala’s education and family

Ghazala earned a BA from Georgia Southern University and a PhD in American Literature from Emory University, Atlanta. She is married to Azhar Rafiq and has two daughters. In 1991, she settled in Richmond, where she taught as a professor for nearly 30 years.

Story of entry and success in politics

Ghazala Hashmi’s political journey began in 2019 when she played an important role in giving the Democrat Party the majority in the Virginia Senate after years by defeating a Republican candidate. Due to his clean image and deep understanding in the field of education, his popularity continued to increase.

Ghazala became Senate member

Given Ghazala’s influence and leadership abilities, she was appointed chairperson of the Senate’s Education and Health Committee in 2024. Now his historic victory is not only an inspiration for the minority and migrant community in America, but has also become a moment of pride for India.

wave of happiness in india

There is an atmosphere of celebration from Hyderabad to Aligarh on the success of Ghazala. On social media, people are honoring her by calling her ‘India’s daughter who created history in America’.

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Zohran Mamdani, the 34-year-old newly elected mayor of New York, one of America’s largest cities, started the first day of his tenure with Indian and Nepalese cuisine. At Laliguras Bistro in Jackson Heights, he shared lunch with US Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (AOC), the same leader who openly supported Mamdani during the election.

In pictures posted on Twitter, both the leaders were seen enjoying tea with momos, aloo-daam and paneer tikka. This moment was not only a meeting of two politicians but also symbolized the meeting of two ideologies. This step is being seen as progressive politics and cultural diversity. Mamdani wrote in his post, “The first day as the newly elected mayor was full of interviews, announcements and meetings, but the most special was the Indian lunch with Ocasio-Cortez.

A busy first day as your Mayor-elect: early morning interviews, transition announcements and meetings. More to say on all of it tomorrow.

But a highlight was lunch with my Congresswoman. @AOC at Laligura’s Bistro in Jackson Heights. pic.twitter.com/vKWpNyrI09

— Zohran Kwame Mamdani (@ZohranKMamdani) November 6, 2025

Historic victory, beginning of a new era

Zoharan Mamdani’s victory created many historic milestones in American politics. He became the first Muslim and South Asian mayor of a world famous city like New York. Also, he is the youngest leader (34 years) to reach this post in a century. His election campaign focused on reducing wealth inequality, making housing affordable and promoting social equality. Describing himself as a democratic socialist, he said, “I am young, I am a Muslim and I do not apologize for all this.”

Cultural connection and relationship with India

Zoharan Mamdani was born in Uganda, but his parents are from India. Father Mahmood Mamdani is a famous scholar and mother Mira Nair, a famous film producer. Mamdani’s emotional connection with India is reflected in his speeches and actions. In his victory speech, he paid tribute to his roots by quoting Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru’s famous Tryst with Destiny speech. Not only this, when he came down from the stage, the song playing in the background was the song from the Bollywood film Dhoom Macha Le.

South Asian influence in New York politics

The South Asian community in America now numbers more than 5 million and is becoming increasingly influential in politics. From Kamala Harris to Zoharan Mamdani, this is the generation that is reshaping American politics by proudly embracing its identity. While leaders like Nikki Haley and Bobby Jindal distanced themselves from their Indian origins, Mamdani proudly made it his strength.

Also read: EXPLAINED: Why did the Christian population in New York choose a Muslim mayor, how did Zoharan Mamdani win despite Trump’s threat, what should Indians learn?