NEW YORK, 4 November (H.S.): On the eve of New York City's mayoral election, President Donald Trump issued a surprise endorsement on Monday for Andrew Cuomo, urging voters to support the former governor to prevent a victory by left-wing Democratic nominee Zohran Mamdani.

In a post on his Truth Social platform, President Trump framed the choice as a necessary one, stating, Whether you personally like Andrew Cuomo or not, you really have no choice. You must vote for him. He dismissed a vote for the Republican candidate, Curtis Sliwa, as effectively a vote for Mamdani. The president has been highly critical of Mamdani, a self-described democratic socialist, labeling him a Communist and threatening to withhold federal funding from the city if he is elected.

The endorsement places the Republican president in the unusual position of backing Cuomo, a longtime Democrat with whom he has frequently clashed. Mamdani, a state assemblyman, won the Democratic primary and has positioned himself as an alternative to Trump's politics. Cuomo, who is running as an Independent, has argued that his experience as governor makes him the only candidate capable of effectively dealing with the Trump administration. Opinion polls show Mamdani leading ahead of Tuesday's election.

---------------

Hindusthan Samachar / Jun Sarkar