Congress MP Shashi Tharoor, MP from Thiruvananthapuram, on Thursday congratulated Nithya Raman on becoming the Mayor of Los Angeles, highlighting her Indian roots and saying that two of America's biggest cities would now be led by people of Indian origin.
The Congress leader also compared the powers available to mayors in the United States with those given to their counterparts in India. (ANI)
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In a post on X, Tharoor described Raman as “a daughter of Thiruvananthapuram” and welcomed her appointment as the new Mayor of Los Angeles. He also referred to Zohran Mamdani's presence in New York, saying that the two cities would be run by people of Indian origin.
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“Daughter of Thiruvananthapuram”
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“A daughter of Thiruvananthapuram, @nithyavraman, is the new Mayor of Los Angeles! And with @ZohranKMamdani in New York, America’s two biggest cities will be run by people of Indian origin!” Tharoor wrote.
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“A daughter of Thiruvananthapuram, @nithyavraman, is the new Mayor of Los Angeles! And with @ZohranKMamdani in New York, America’s two biggest cities will be run by people of Indian origin!” Tharoor wrote.
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Deep Dive
Did Nithya Raman win the Los Angeles mayoral race?
Fresh figures reported Raman leading incumbent Karen Bass with 51.1% of the vote to Bass’s 48.33%. However, election analysts said the race was still too close to call.
Why did Shashi Tharoor call Nithya Raman a “daughter of Thiruvananthapuram”?
Tharoor used the phrase while congratulating Raman and highlighting her Indian roots. Raman was born in Kerala and moved to the United States when she was six.
What were Los Angeles voters’ main concerns in the mayoral election?
Homelessness, public safety and affordable housing were key concerns. A poll found about 40% of likely voters prioritised reducing homeless encampments, while about 30% highlighted public safety or affordable housing.
The Congress leader also compared the powers available to mayors in the United States with those given to their counterparts in India. He said he was confident that Raman and Mamdani would do a “far better job” than mayors in India, who, according to him, have limited authority to govern their cities.
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“I’m sure they will do a far better job than their counterparts back in India, who are reduced to powerlessness by a British-era system that disperses authority and budgets, leaving Mayors here without any real means to govern their cities effectively,” he said.
MeanwhilIndian-origin Los Angeles City Councilwoman Nithya Raman took the lead over incumbent Mayor Karen Bass in the mayoral election, according to fresh figures released by the Los Angeles Times.
As counting continued, Raman, 45, secured 51.1% of the votes, while Bass, 73, received 48.33%, the report said. However, election analysts warned that the contest was still too close to call.
The election came at a time when Los Angeles was facing several major civic challenges, with homelessness, public safety and affordable housing among the key concerns for voters.
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Home/India News/‘Daughter of Thiruvananthapuram’: Tharoor's shoutout to Nithya Raman, set for LA mayoral win
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