‘Zohran Mamdani represents the future New York’: socialist riding high in bid to be mayor

The progressive Democrat from Queens is the son of a famous film-maker and poised to take on frontrunner Andrew Cuomo

Can a 33-year-old cricket-playing socialist, who wants to freeze rent, make city transport free and once aspired to be a rapper win an already turbulent election to become the next mayor of New York?

Zohran Mamdani, a democratic socialist and state assembly member in Queens, has been the surprise package in the Democratic primary and is now poised to take on the frontrunner in the race, ex-state governor Andrew Cuomo, who is mounting a political comeback after being forced from office in the face of a series of sexual harassment claims.