KOCHI: Barely days after scripting a historic comeback in Kochi corporation, the Congress finds itself perilously close to frittering away the political goodwill earned through the landslide. The reason is neither missteps in opposition nor governance, but a prolonged and public indecision over naming the mayor — an uncertainty that has snowballed into an embarrassing spectacle of internal contradictions.
Despite securing a clear majority on its own, the party appears unsettled. Three women leaders have emerged as mayoral contenders, and instead of settling the matter swiftly, the Congress has allowed the process to drift into the public domain. The result: Speculation, lobbying, social media campaigns, besides open talk of caste and community arithmetic — precisely the kind of optics a party riding a mandate should avoid.
Adding to the pressure is the Latin Catholic Church, a decisive force in Kochi’s civic politics. With 26 councillors from the community in the 76-member council — 18 of them UDF members — the Church has made it clear that it expects one of its own to be elevated mayor. That demand has pushed leaders like V K Minimol and Shiny Mathew into the frame, even as the party insists the choice will not be dictated by religion.
It was in this context that Leader of Opposition V D Satheesan, who is also in charge of Kochi corporation, publicly clarified that the mayor would be chosen through the KPCC-AICC process, factoring in councillors’ views, and not caste or religious considerations. While principled on paper, the statement has only sharpened speculation that KPCC general secretary and AICC member Deepthi Mary Varghese is the frontrunner.
Deepthi’s case is strong on merit — as a two-term councillor from the Stadium division, with organisational seniority, and a visible record in the city. Yet, herein lies the Congress’ catch-22.
“If merit alone is the benchmark — as the leadership now claims — then that yardstick must extend to the deputy mayor as well,” party sources said. And that is where the party’s balancing act begins to unravel.
The deputy mayor is not a ceremonial post. “As ex-officio chairperson of the standing committee on finance, the office oversees budget utilisation, tax collection, audits, and monitoring of government grants. With nearly Rs 400 crore in liabilities — ranging from the new corporation building to the Brahmapuram biomining project — the role demands financial acumen, administrative grit, and the ability to navigate a bureaucracy staffed largely by Left-appointed officials,” said sources.
Yet, party discussions suggest that if Deepthi, a Marthomite Christian, is appointed mayor, the deputy mayor’s post may be “balanced” by appointing a Hindu — with names like K V P Krishnakumar and Deepak Joy doing the rounds. This reasoning has not gone down well within sections of the party. Senior leaders privately concede the contradiction: If community equations are irrelevant for the mayor, they cannot suddenly become decisive for the deputy mayor.
More damagingly, the open chatter — amplified by social media campaigns backing individual aspirants — has created the impression of a party trapped in its own arithmetic. Grassroots workers who powered the victory now watch uneasily as the Congress debates identities instead of governance.
The irony is stark. The mandate in Kochi was meant to signal revival and decisiveness. Instead, the delay and the public nature of the wrangling risk diluting that message. For a party that just delivered a political knockout, hesitation may prove costlier than defeat. The longer the Congress waits, the more its historic win begins to look less like a launch pad — and more like a missed opportunity.