Kochi, July 30: Congress councillor V. R. Sudheer has been elected as the 26th Deputy Mayor of the Kochi Corporation, marking a new phase in the city’s civic administration. The election was held following the vacancy created after former Deputy Mayor Deepak Joy was elected to the Kerala Legislative Assembly earlier this year.
Sudheer secured a comfortable victory in the election conducted at the Kochi Corporation Council Hall under the supervision of Ernakulam District Collector G. Priyanka, who served as the returning officer. Out of the 74 councillors present, Sudheer received 46 votes, while the Left Democratic Front (LDF) candidate P. J. Yesudas secured 21 votes. The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) candidate Jalaja S. Acharya received six votes, while one LDF vote was declared invalid.
A veteran in local governance, Sudheer first entered the Kochi Corporation Council in 2000 after being elected from the Elamakkara South division. He is currently serving his fourth term as a councillor and also holds key organizational positions as the Vice-President of the Ernakulam North Block Congress Committee and President of the Kochi Corporation Workers’ Congress. His extensive experience in municipal administration was cited by party leaders as a major reason for his nomination.
Following the swearing-in ceremony, Kochi Mayor V. K. Minimol expressed confidence that Sudheer’s experience would strengthen the Corporation’s efforts to implement development projects and improve civic services across the city. In his inaugural remarks, Sudheer pledged to work impartially for the welfare of all residents, irrespective of political affiliation, and emphasized the importance of improving infrastructure, sanitation, public amenities, and urban development.
The deputy mayoral election was part of the United Democratic Front’s (UDF) leadership transition within the Kochi Corporation after Deepak Joy’s elevation to the State Assembly. Political observers view Sudheer’s appointment as an effort to ensure continuity in civic governance while maintaining internal party balance.
With the new leadership team now in place, the Kochi Corporation is expected to continue focusing on urban infrastructure upgrades, waste management, public health initiatives, mobility projects, and citizen-centric governance as the city pursues its long-term development agenda.
