Meet Saikat Chakrabarti, Indian-origin democrat in spotlight after Zohran Mamdani's win, to contest for Nancy Pelosi’s San Francisco seat

After Zohran Mamdani's recent victory as Mayor of New York City, Indian-origin Democrat Saikat Chakrabarti is in the spotlight as another Indian-origin progressive Democrat seeking to challenge the Democratic establishment. He's currently running for the Democratic nomination in California's 13th congressional district (San Francisco), a seat previously held by Nancy Pelosi. 

Who is Saikat Chakrabati?

The 39-year-old is a former political adviser who has worked with Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and Senator Bernie Sanders. He was born in an Indian Bengali family in Fort Worth, Texas. Chakrabarti earned a Bachelor’s in computer science from Harvard University in 2007. Prior to joining politics, he worked as a founding engineer at Stripe before co-founding tech startup Mockingbird. In a video, Chakrabarti said he moved to San Francisco in 2009, drawn to the city's idea, and has pursued progressive politics for over a decade.

After working on Sanders' campaign, Chakrabarti co-founded Brand New Congress to support progressive candidates. He helped launch Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez's congressional campaign and served as her chief of staff. Chakrabarti and AOC collaborated on the Green New Deal, a framework to cut carbon emissions and boost the economy.

Saikat Chakrabarti's aim

Saikat Chakrabarti announced his congressional run against Nancy Pelosi in February. He expressed disappointment with the Democratic Party's response after Trump's second election, citing Pelosi's response to criticism as inadequate. Chakrabarti is now aiming to represent working people and transform the Democratic Party. He sees this as an opportunity for a movement that prioritises working people, according to Fox News. 

Zohran Mamdani's victory

Zohran Mamdani, a self-proclaimed socialist of Indian origin, won mayoral polls, becoming New York City's first Muslim mayor. He had support from several prominent leftist figures, and The New York Times reported that he spoke with former President Barack Obama in a 30-minute call before the polls, during which Obama praised his campaign. Mamdani, who has also criticised Trump, directly addressed the President in his victory speech, saying, "So, Donald Trump, since I know you're watching, I have four words for you: Turn the volume up."

(With inputs from ANI)