The election of Deepak Joy as Thripunithura MLA has prompted a by-election in the Ayyappankkavu division of Kochi Corporation, which he represents. The United Democratic Front (UDF) will also have to identify a replacement for him in the post of deputy mayor.
Mr Joy is expected to tender his resignation as councilor soon.
He defeated KN Unnikrishnan of the Left Democratic Front by over 18,000 votes. Ernakulam District Congress Committee (DCC) president Mohammed Shiyas, who was also elected MLA from Kochi, is also busy. Mr Joy’s successor as deputy mayor is likely to be decided by the DCC.
The Congress had earlier divided the deputy mayor’s tenure into two halves, each lasting two-and-a-half years for its councilors Mr. Joy and KVP Krishnakumar. A similar split-term arrangement also applies to the mayor’s post, with Congress councilors VK Minimol and Shiny Mathew sharing the post.
It remains to be seen whether a new councilor will be appointed as deputy mayor or Mr. Krishnakumar’s tenure will be moved. Congress sources said this was unlikely, but clarified that the final decision would be taken by the DCC in consultation with the Congress parliamentary party.
The post of Deputy Mayor was initially claimed by the constituent Indian Union Muslim League (IUML) for a year. The IUML also expressed displeasure over the manner in which the Congress district leadership ignored its demand and unilaterally announced two candidates for the post under the split term arrangement.
The claim was eventually denied, largely due to a strong performance by Congress, which single-handedly secured enough board members in the 76-member corporation. Subsequently, IUML’s potential nominee for the post of Deputy Mayor TK Asharaf was accommodated as the Chairman of the Standing Race Committee.
Published – 07 May 2026 20:46 IST
