In one breath, Zohran Mamdani says he plans to ban carriage horses from Central Park. In another, he says he’ll form a panel to study the industry before coming to a decision.

It’s the type of fence-straddling that’s become a feature of the mayoral front-runner’s campaign as he works to avoid conflict and controversy ahead of November’s election. But despite his lack of firm commitment on the issue, the two opposing sides of the long-standing fight each claim he’s in their corner.

"We have his commitment,” said Edita Birnkrant, the head of NYCLASS, a politically connected animal welfare group that has for decades protested the city’s carriage horse drivers. The group’s members are known to heckle and harass tourists taking carriage rides in the park.

"It was communicated in writing and

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