The Democrat has appointed several Indian-Americans in his administration, including Deputy Mayor Meera Joshi and Dilip Chauhan from New York
Our Bureau
New York, NY
Just seven minutes after midnight when the world was still watching celebrations at the Times Square, Eric Adams took oath as the 110th Mayor of New York city. Adams was joined by his son Jordan Coleman and his partner Tracey Collins. He was surrounded by his family and close friends. He was holding a photo of his mother Dorothy in his hand — holding it high while taking the oath.
Eric Adams was brought up his mother, a house cleaner, along with five siblings. Eric Adams served in NYPD for 22 years and retired as a Captain. He later became a Senator before becoming the Borough President in Brooklyn in 2011. Eric Adams has inherited the city in most challenging circumstances as the city enters its third year of the Covid-19 pandemic.
Eric Adams has promised to be a blue-collar mayor and has appointed several Indian-American community individuals in his administration including Deputy Mayor Meera Joshi and Dilip Chauhan from New York. More appointments are expected to take place in the near future that will include South Asians in key positions.
Eric Adams is the second Black mayor in the city’s history. Adams now takes office after Bill de Blasio’s two terms, marking the first time in 30 years that Democrats consecutively served as the city’s mayor.
As thousands of revellers began to steadily stream out of the Crossroads of the World, Adams emerged at around 12:06 a.m. holding a portrait of his late mother on his right hand and his left hand on his family Bible as Judge Sylvia Hinds-Radix administered the oath of office. Adams, wearing a dark blue suit, was surrounded by his friends and family, including his son Jordan and his chief of staff Frank Carone.
Meera Joshi 
Dilip Chauhan
Earlier this week, Adams said he chose the Times Square ball drop celebration as the backdrop for his swearing-in ceremony to symbolize his goal to re-energize a city battered by the coronavirus outbreak for nearly two years. Former mayor and billionaire Michael Bloomberg was also sworn into office in Times Square during the New Year’s Eve ball drop celebration in 2002.
While a mayoral swearing-in event is usually followed by inauguration ceremony later in the day, Adams was forced to cancel his planned event at Kings Theater in Brooklyn because of the recent rapid spread of COVID-19 across the city, driven by the omicron variant. Past mayors have traditionally held their ceremonies outside City Hall. Comptroller Brad Lander and Public Advocate Jumaane Williams, both from Brooklyn, were expected to join Adams, symbolizing the borough’s political influence citywide.
Adams easily won the November general election over Republican challenger Curtis Sliwa following an intense June primary contest against 12 Democratic candidates. While his rivals presented a progressive platform as a pathway toward improving the city’s quality of life, Adams embraced a center-left agenda largely focused on reducing crime.
During his campaign, Adams consistently tapped into his working class roots, growing up dyslexic and on the brink of homelessness. His turning point, as he recalled, was being brutalized by the NYPD when he was 15. The encounter compelled him to join the police department, retiring with the rank of captain.
According to a poll released a day before the June primary by Ipsos, crime remained a top concern as voters headed to the polls, with 39% of those polled saying Adams was the best candidate suited to reduce crime.
Adams, 61, succeeds de Blasio, a progressive Democrat long perceived by police unions as being too soft on crime. Adams is now the second Black mayor in the city’s 124-year history, the first being David Dinkins in 1990.
