Congress MP Shashi Tharoor congratulated Kerala-born Nithya Raman on her election as the mayor of Los Angeles while using her victory to criticise the limited authority given to mayors in cities in India.
“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,” Tharoor said.
In most cities in India, the mayor is the political and ceremonial head of the municipal corporation but not its main executive authority. The municipal commissioner who is often a senior bureaucrat appointed by the state government controls daily administration and substantial parts of the civic budget. Raman’s campaign centred on housing affordability, homelessness and the delivery of municipal services apart from promises to improve street lighting and repair potholes.
Bass conceded the election and said she had spoken to Raman. “I’ve called Councilmember Raman to congratulate her, and I’m committed to a smooth transition,” she wrote on X. In her response, Raman said she had thanked the outgoing mayor for her leadership and years of public service.
