Hindutva politician links Mamdani’s victory to ‘vote jihad’
Mumbai BJP chief calls Mamdani’s win “vote jihad,” vows to block any ‘Khan’ from leading the city as Islamophobia crosses borders
NEW DELHI, India (MNTV) — A senior politician from India’s ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has drawn widespread condemnation after reacting to Zohran Mamdani’s historic election as New York City’s first Muslim mayor with an Islamophobic remark, declaring, “We will not allow any Khan to become mayor.”
The surname “Khan” is widely used among Muslims in South Asia, particularly in India, Pakistan, and Bangladesh. In India’s polarized political climate, Hindu nationalist leaders often use it as shorthand for Muslim identity—turning a common name into a communal slur.
The remark came from Ameet Satam, the BJP’s Mumbai president and a lawmaker from Andheri West, who described Mamdani’s victory as a case of “vote jihad.”
The term “vote jihad” is a Hindutva conspiracy theory that alleges Muslims use their voting power to undermine Hindu interests—an idea regularly promoted by India’s right-wing ecosystem to stoke fear and polarization during elections.
Mamdani, a Democratic socialist and the first South Asian to lead New York City, defeated former governor Andrew Cuomo in a landmark U.S. election this week. He had previously drawn the ire of India’s Hindu nationalist circles after calling Prime Minister Narendra Modi a “war criminal” and comparing him to Israel’s Benjamin Netanyahu, citing their roles in state-sponsored violence.
Satam claimed “international cities are changing colours” and warned that “if someone tries to impose a Khan on Mumbai, it will not be tolerated.” His post, shared widely by right-wing accounts, drew backlash for importing Islamophobic narratives from India’s domestic politics into a global context.
Opposition leaders in Maharashtra condemned Satam’s comments as hate-filled and dangerous. Anish Gawande of the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) reminded him that Muslim generals such as Siddi Ibrahim Khan and Daulat Khan fought alongside Maratha ruler Shivaji, accusing the BJP of betraying Maharashtra’s plural legacy.
Congress leader Sachin Sawant said the BJP was attempting to “divert public attention from its failures” in Mumbai, where urban decay, flooding, and corruption have worsened under its rule. “People aren’t living, they’re just surviving,” he said, accusing the party of injecting communal politics ahead of upcoming local elections.
Satam has previously made similar remarks, warning that “international countries are being infiltrated”.
In September, at a BJP event attended by top state leaders, he cautioned that “tomorrow, a Bangladeshi could be on the doorstep of Mumbaikars.”
The controversy has drawn parallels between Islamophobia in India and the United States, as Mamdani himself faced relentless attacks from far-right figures during his mayoral campaign.
Opponents and conservative media labeled him a “jihadist” or “terrorist sympathizer” and repeatedly invoked 9/11; in one radio interview, Andrew Cuomo laughed along when a host suggested Mamdani would “cheer another 9/11”.
In his victory speech, Mamdani — the youngest New York mayor in a century — addressed these attacks head-on. “I am young. I am Muslim. I am a democratic socialist. And most damning of all, I refuse to apologize for any of this,” he told cheering supporters.
Observers say the episode underscores how anti-Muslim rhetoric has become a shared language among right-wing movements across continents, uniting ideologies that demonize Muslim representation whether in New York or Mumbai.
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