Congress Selects Veteran V.R. Sudheer for Kochi Corporation Deputy Mayor Seat
Four-time councillor V.R. Sudheer has emerged as the UDF nominee for the upcoming Kochi Corporation deputy mayor election. The veteran politician seeks to fill the vacancy left by Deepak Joy following his recent transition to the state assembly.
Sudheer Secures Unanimous Support from Congress
The United Democratic Front (UDF) has formalized its strategy for the Kochi Corporation deputy mayor election, scheduled for Wednesday, by nominating Elamakkara South councillor V.R. Sudheer. The decision came during a Congress Parliamentary Party gathering on Tuesday, presided over by District Congress Committee (DCC) president and MLA Mohammed Shiyas. Despite early internal deliberations involving several candidates from the ‘A’ faction, Sudheer’s four terms of experience made him the consensus choice for the leadership role.
Three-Way Contest Amid Administrative Backlog
The election aims to resolve a leadership void existing since May 13, when former deputy mayor Deepak Joy stepped down after winning the Thripunithura MLA seat. The Left Democratic Front (LDF) previously condemned this delay, noting that the vacancy paralyzed the Corporation’s finance standing committee, which the deputy mayor chairs by default. Voters will choose between three distinct candidates:
- V.R. Sudheer (UDF): Representing Elamakkara South and backed by the dominant Congress-led coalition.
- P.J. Yesudas (LDF): A councillor from the Nasrathu division representing the primary opposition.
- Jalaja S. Acharya (BJP): A first-term councillor from Thrikkanarvattom representing the third front.
Numbers Favor UDF Strategy
Arithmetic dictates the likely result in the 76-member house. The UDF maintains a comfortable majority with 48 seats, including one Independent supporter. In contrast, the LDF holds 22 seats and the BJP controls six. This election also aligns with internal Congress power-sharing agreements. The party previously divided the deputy mayor's five-year term into two equal halves between the ‘A’ and ‘I’ factions, originally intended for Deepak Joy and K.V.P. Krishnakumar. This rotational policy mirrors the arrangement for the Mayor’s office, currently shared by V.K. Minimol and Shiny Mathew.
Source: The Hindu — National
