LONDON ¨C Sadiq Khan, a Muslim lawmaker from Britain¡¯s opposition Labour Party, is the strong favorite to win London¡¯s mayoral election Thursday after a bitter contest marked by religious tensions and accusations of racism.
Polls show Khan, the son of a bus driver, is as much as 20 percentage points ahead of rival Conservative Zac Goldsmith in the race to run one of the world¡¯s top financial centers. If he wins, he will succeed current Conservative mayor Boris Johnson to become the first Muslim to head a major Western capital.
London¡¯s population of 8.6 million is among the most cosmopolitan in the world and it is rare for identity politics to enter British campaigning.
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