A mother-son duo of Indian origin from Haryana’s Rohtak have created history in the United Kingdom after both were elected mayors within a span of a week, turning their journey of migration into a milestone moment for the Indian diaspora.
23-year-old Tushar Kumar became the youngest Indian-origin mayor in the UK after being elected Mayor of Elstree and Borehamwood Town Council on May 13. A week later, his mother, councillor Parveen Rani, was elected Mayor of Hertsmere Borough Council on May 20, becoming the first Indian-origin mayor of the borough.
“It is a matter of great pride that a mother and her son from a family of Indian origin have become mayors at the same time,” their father Sunil Dahiya told PTI. He said the family continues to stay closely connected to their roots in Haryana and visits their hometown every year.
The family originally hails from Rohna village in Kharkhoda, Sonipat, and had been living in Rohtak before moving to the UK in 2013 in search of better opportunities. At the time, Tushar was just 10 years old.
Both mother and son gradually entered public life through community work and volunteering in Hertfordshire. Tushar joined the Elstree and Borehamwood Town Council in 2023 as a Labour councillor and later served as deputy mayor before taking charge as mayor this year. Parveen Rani also held several civic roles, including cabinet member for streetscene, parks, leisure and culture, and deputy mayor of Hertsmere.
According to the family, both have been actively involved in community initiatives, including teaching Hindi free of cost to children of the Indian diaspora through a local charity organisation.
Tushar, who studied politics at King’s College London, became a councillor at the age of 20 while still an undergraduate. He is expected to begin his master’s degree later this year. His father also noted that Tushar’s younger brother is studying at the same university and is involved in student governance.
The family said both Tushar and Parveen contested elections for the first time in 2023 and were elected as councillors, marking the beginning of their formal political journey.
Their dual elevation to mayoral posts has been widely seen as a symbol of growing representation of the Indian diaspora in local British politics, as well as the increasing participation of migrant families in public service roles.
