Washington, Jan 5 : Pulkit Desai, a US Marine veteran and technology professional, has been sworn in as mayor of Parsippany, New Jersey, becoming the townshipâ??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 Saturday.

In his first interview after taking office, Desai told IANS that his administration would focus on controlling growth while strengthening local services. â??Our main priority is to make sure Parsippany is developed in a smart way,â?? he said. â??The overcrowding that has happened, we want to stop that, but we want to do smart development for commercial. We want to bring businesses inâ??.

He said schools and public services would remain central to town policy. â??If there is anything for the school, for the education board of education, we want to make sure we give them all the funding thatâ??s necessary,â?? Desai said. He also pointed to â??public infrastructureâ?? and â??public safetyâ?? as ongoing priorities.

Desai said transparency would guide his leadership. â??The most important thing is transparency and accountability,â?? he said. â??I want to be honest with the people of Parsippany with everything that I do.â?? He added that residents should know how decisions are made, saying there should be â??no backroom dealsâ?? and â??nothing hiddenâ?? in township government.

Parsippany has a large Indian American population, and Desai acknowledged the significance of that representation while stressing equal treatment. â??I have to treat everybody equally,â?? he said, adding that he also sees himself as a representative voice for Indian Americans in the township. He described the election of himself and council member Diya Patel as â??a pretty good monumental achievement.

Desai traced his journey to public office back to his early years in the United States. â??I came here at a very young age,â?? he said. After completing his education, he joined the US Marine Corps and served for six years, including during Desert Storm. He later spent three decades working in the technology sector, moving from mainframe systems to cybersecurity roles.

His entry into local politics, Desai said, began with a dispute over voting rights while serving as president of a local lake association. He said residents were once required to pay an additional fee to vote. â??Nobody should have to pay extra money just to vote,â?? he said, calling the charge a poll tax. That fight, he said, pushed him toward broader civic involvement and eventually the mayorâ??s office.

Parsippany is Morris Countyâ??s largest township and has undergone significant demographic change in recent years. Local media have described the new administration as historic, noting that Asian Americans now form the largest ethnic group in the community and that the current council includes the first elected leaders of Indian descent.

/IANS