Thiruvananthapuram: Congress legislator Shanimol Osman was on Tuesday elected Deputy Speaker of the Kerala Legislative Assembly, becoming the first woman from the party to hold the post in 66 years and only the fourth woman in the state’s legislative history to occupy the office.

Speaker Thiruvanchoor Radhakrishnan declared Osman elected after a formal vote in the House.

The two-time legislator defeated CPI nominee and three-time MLA Muhammed Muhassin in a vote that reflected the numerical strength of the Congress-led United Democratic Front (UDF) in the 140-member Assembly.

“Osman secured 99 votes, and Muhassin got 34 votes. Four legislators abstained, and that included me,” said Radhakrishnan.

She was then asked to take her seat in the opposition benches, next to Leader of Opposition Pinarayi Vijayan, who congratulated her.

The UDF currently has 102 members in the Assembly, while the CPI(M)-led Left Democratic Front (LDF) has 25 legislators. The BJP holds three seats.

Voting pattern and House attendance

The BJP members remained seated during the voting process and did not participate. However, during the earlier Speaker’s election, the party had fielded its own candidate supported by its three MLAs.

In Tuesday’s vote, several absences were recorded. UDF MLAs Abid Hussain Thangal and Sandeep Warrier, along with LDF MLA C.K. Hareendran, were not present in the House. The Speaker did not cast a vote.

Political journey, profile and historical context

Osman, who represents the Aroor constituency, assumed the constitutional post three days after turning 60.

Her election marks the culmination of a political career spanning multiple electoral contests. She is known for a soft-spoken demeanour and is regarded as a senior Congress leader.

She has contested six elections, including the 2019 Lok Sabha election from Alappuzha. She first entered the legislature through a 2019 Alappuzha Assembly bypoll and later lost the 2021 Assembly election. She returned to the House with a win from Aroor in the 2026 Assembly polls.

She has previously served as KSU leader, member of KPCC and AICC, former Mahila Congress president, and former chairperson of Alappuzha municipality.

The Aroor by-election in 2019 was held after A.M. Ariff entered Parliament. The UDF initially won the seat but lost it in 2021 to LDF candidate Daleema. In 2026, Osman regained the constituency for the UDF, winning by a margin of 9,324 votes.

Born in 1966 in Thakazhi, Alappuzha, Osman holds MA and LLB degrees and has also worked as an advocate.

Her election also marks a return of a woman Deputy Speaker to the Kerala Assembly after nearly four decades. The last Congress leader to hold the post was A. Nafeesath Beevi in 1960, while CPI leaders K.O. Aisha Bai and Bhargavi Thankappan previously held the position, the latter serving in 1987.