UDF's VR Sudheer elected new Kochi Deputy Mayor; wins election by comfortable margin

Kochi: Four-time councillor VR Sudheer of the United Democratic Front (UDF) was elected Deputy Mayor of the Kochi Corporation on Wednesday, securing a comfortable victory in the election held at the Corporation council hall.

Sudheer won 46 votes in the 76-member council, defeating the Left Democratic Front’s (LDF) P J Yesudas, who secured 21 votes, and Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) candidate Jalaja S Acharya, who received six votes. The outcome was widely anticipated as the UDF enjoys a clear majority in the council.

However, the election witnessed a minor procedural lapse. Lavitha Nelson, the LDF councillor representing the Tharebhagam division, cast an invalid vote after signing the ballot paper without marking her preferred candidate.

The election was conducted under the supervision of Ernakulam District Collector G Priyanka, who served as the presiding officer. Polling began at 11 am, but UDF councillor Albert Ambalathingal of the Pachalam division arrived after the voting process had commenced and was not permitted to cast his vote.

During the proceedings, Welfare Standing Committee Chairman Antony Painuthara suggested that Ambalathingal be allowed to vote if no councillor objected. However, Priyanka declined the request, stating that relaxing the election procedure could leave the process open to legal challenges if anyone contested at a later stage. She insisted that the election rules had to be followed strictly.

Following the declaration of the results, UDF councillors celebrated by thumping their desks and raising slogans in support of Sudheer. Mayor VK Minimol then administered the oath of office to the newly elected Deputy Mayor, after which councillors and senior leaders congratulated him.

Speaking at the felicitation ceremony, Mayor Minimol stressed the importance of close coordination between the Mayor and Deputy Mayor. Describing the two offices as ‘two sides of a single coin’, she said they must work together to ensure the city’s development.

Offering the opposition’s greetings, LDF Parliamentary Party leader VA Sreejith said he hoped Sudheer would discharge his responsibilities impartially and treat all councillors equally, irrespective of political affiliation.

Sreejith also urged the new Deputy Mayor to give priority to strengthening the Corporation’s finances and ensuring greater transparency in its administration. As Deputy Mayor, Sudheer also becomes the ex-officio chairman of the Finance Standing Committee, one of the Corporation’s most important committees.

In his acceptance speech, Sudheer thanked the councillors for putting their faith in him and described his election as a humbling recognition of his long public life. He pledged to carry out his responsibilities without political bias or discrimination and assured the council that he would work in the interest of all sections of Kochi. Members of his family watched the proceedings from the visitors' gallery.

Sudheer’s candidature was finalised only on Tuesday after a meeting of the Congress Parliamentary Party chaired by District Congress Committee (DCC) President Mohammed Shiyas.

The Deputy Mayor’s post had remained vacant since May 13, when Deepak Joy resigned after being elected as the MLA from Thripunithura. The prolonged vacancy had drawn repeated criticism from the LDF, which argued that it had affected the functioning of the Finance Standing Committee and delayed key administrative decisions.

Although senior councillor KVP Krishnakumar had laid claim to the post under an earlier power-sharing arrangement between the Congress’ ‘A’ and ‘I’ groups, the ‘A’ group eventually retained the position after internal negotiations.

Senior ‘A’ group leaders PD Martin, MG Aristotle and Henry Austin had also made their claims, but the UDF finally chose Sudheer citing his seniority and wider acceptability within the party.

Community representation also influenced the final choice. With Mayor VK Minimol belonging to the Latin Catholic community, the Congress opted for Sudheer, who belongs to the Ezhava community, to maintain social balance in the Corporation’s top leadership.

Among those present at the council hall for the swearing-in ceremony were former Deputy Mayor and current Tripunithura MLA Deepak Joy, former Minister Dominic Presentation, and former Kochi Mayor Soumini Jain.