Congress Backs Down to League; Deputy Mayor Post to Be Shared in Kochi

Kochi: In the power tussle of Kochi Corporation, Congress has given way to the Muslim League. Following threats and protests from the League, it has been agreed that the Deputy Mayor post will be allotted for one year. TK Ashraf, a League councillor for the past year, will become Deputy Mayor.

Currently, Deepak Joy has been appointed as Deputy Mayor for the first term. For the second term, the Ernakulam DCC had announced KV P Krishnakumar as Deputy Mayor.

Earlier, Congress had announced that after two years, members from the A and I groups would be made Deputy Mayor. The League had publicly protested against Congress making a unilateral decision without discussion. The League argued that even if Congress has a majority on its own, it is not right to decide alone and that allies should be respected and given their due.

Meanwhile, turmoil is brewing within Congress over the mayoral post. Councillors and other leaders have openly expressed dissatisfaction in various factions, putting the party leadership under severe pressure. Alongside personal interests, communal tensions have also added to Congress’s headache.

The conflict erupted after Deepthi Mary Varghese, who was expected to become Mayor, was sidelined. Combining the A and I groups, Congress instead installed VK Minimol and Shiny Mathew as Mayor on a term-based arrangement.