A mother and son of an Indian-origin family from Haryana’s Rohtak have been elected as mayors in the UK at the same time.

Parveen Rani and her 23-year-old son Tushar Kumar assumed their mayoral positions, marking a rare civic milestone.

Kumar, who has been elected as the Mayor of Elstree and Borehamwood Town Council, becomes the youngest Indian-origin mayor in the UK. His mother Rani was elected as the Mayor of Hertsmere Borough Council.

Kumar’s father Sunil Dahiya, a businessman, expressed immense happiness over his wife and son holding prestigious offices in the UK.

The family moved to the UK in 2013 with no concrete plan for the future. Kumar and Rani were actively involved in community service. Kumar became a councillor at 20 while studying in London. He joined the Elstree and Borehamwood Town Council in 2023, serving as deputy mayor.

Rani held important civic roles such as Cabinet Member for Streetscene, Parks, Leisure and Culture, deputy mayor of Hertsmere, and Global Envoy for Film and Television.

Both Rani and Kumar have been contributing to community initiatives, including teaching Hindi for free to UK-born children. – editor@nrifocus.com