Which Indian origin businessman has been elected as Mayor of London Borough of Southwark for the second time?

Question

UnlockIAS · Accepted Answer

Correct — C, Sunil Chopra. Delhi-born Sunil Chopra, an Indian-origin businessman and Labour councillor, was elected Mayor of the London Borough of Southwark for the second time (2022-23), taking the oath at Southwark Cathedral. He had entered UK politics in 2010, becoming Southwark's first Indian-origin councillor, and first held the mayoralty in 2014-15 (after a term as Deputy Mayor) — making his 2022-23 election a repeat of the office.

Why the other options are wrong — (a) Gautam Adani is the Indian industrialist who heads the Adani Group; he has never held any elected civic office in the United Kingdom, let alone the Southwark mayoralty.  (b) Sam Dalton is not the person elected to this office; the twice-elected Indian-origin Mayor of Southwark reported in the news of the period was Sunil Chopra.  (d) Neeraj Patil is a real Indian-origin (Karnataka-born) UK politician, but he was Mayor of the London Borough of Lambeth (2010-11) — a different borough — not Southwark. This is the intended trap, mixing up two Indian-origin London mayors.

Concept: London's 32 boroughs each elect a ceremonial Mayor (distinct from the elected Mayor of London), usually a serving councillor chosen for a one-year civic term. The Indian diaspora has become increasingly visible in this local-government tier, and current-affairs papers track such 'first/again' milestones for people of Indian origin abroad.

State PCS 2023 Q81 — Current Affairs PYQ with Answer

State PCS 2023 Q81 — Current Affairs PYQ with Answer