Blitz Bureau
NEW DELHI: Pulkit Desai, a US Marine veteran and technology professional, has been sworn in as Mayor of Parsippany, New Jersey, becoming the township’s first Indian American Mayor after a razor-thin election victory.
Desai, a Democrat, won the mayoral race after provisional and vote-by-mail ballots overturned an earlier lead held by Republican incumbent James Barberio. Final counts showed Desai ahead by a narrow margin, with Democrats also winning two council seats and securing control of the township council. The swearing-in took place on January 3.
Desai told IANS that his administration would focus on controlling growth while strengthening local services. “Our main priority is to make sure Parsippany is developed in a smart way,” he said. “The overcrowding that has happened, we want to stop that, but we want to do smart development. We want to bring businesses in”.
Parsippany has a large Indian American population, and Desai acknowledged the significance of that representation while stressing equal treatment. “I have to treat everybody equally,” he said, adding that he sees himself as a representative voice for Indian Americans in the township.
