Kochi: Amid heated discussions and intense factional infighting, Congress leader V.K. Minimoĺ was named the new mayor of the Kochi Corporation on Tuesday.

Under a term-sharing arrangement, she will serve for the first two and a half years, with Deepak Joy holding the post of deputy mayor during the period.

For the remaining two-and-a-half years, Shiny Mathew will take over as Mayor, while KVP Krishnakumar will be the Deputy Mayor. The decision was announced by District Congress Committee (DCC) president Mohammed Shiyas after a meeting of the Congress core committee.

Ahead of the local body election results, the UDF had projected KPCC general secretary Deepthi Mary Varghese as its mayoral face in Kochi. However, following the declaration of results, the Congress (A) and Congress (I) factions reportedly came together to keep her out of the mayor’s race, according to her supporters.

Sources said that Shiny Mathew secured greater backing at the parliamentary party meeting. While VK Minimoĺ received the support of 17 councillors, Shiny Mathew was backed by 19. Deepthi reportedly had the support of only four councillors.

The decision has drawn criticism as it came despite a KPCC circular stating that preference should be given to those holding official party positions. Deepthi, a KPCC general secretary, represents the Stadium ward in the Kochi Corporation. Minimoĺ represents Palarivattom, while Shiny Mathew is from Fort Kochi. Deepak represents Ayyappankavu, and Krishnakumar represents Ernakulam South.

Senior leaders had argued that Deepthi’s seniority within the party should be considered. There was also pressure from a section of the party to appoint a mayor from the Latin Catholic community. Notably, Deepthi was the only KPCC general secretary elected as a councillor in the recent polls. Her exclusion, despite the stated guideline of prioritising senior party office-bearers, has triggered criticism within Congress circles.

Meanwhile, Deepthi’s supporters have expressed strong disappointment, alleging that the A and I groups and the DCC adopted an unprecedented approach in Kochi to block her elevation. They claim councillors were individually approached, opinions were informally gauged, and a secret ballot was prevented to ensure that Deepthi was sidelined.