Congress leader Shanimol Usman defeated LDF candidate Muhammad Muhsin to become the Deputy Speaker
June 2, 2026: Shanimol Usman, Congress MLA from Aroor in Alappuzha district, was elected Deputy Speaker of the 16th Kerala Legislative Assembly on Tuesday. Contesting as the United Democratic Front (UDF) candidate, she defeated Left Democratic Front (LDF) nominee and Pattambi MLA Muhammad Muhsin during the first Assembly session after the UDF formed the government under Chief Minister V.D. Satheesan.
Usman secured 99 votes in the 140-member House, while Muhsin received 34 votes. Two UDF legislators and one LDF MLA were absent from the voting process, while three BJP MLAs abstained. Speaker Thiruvanchoor Radhakrishnan did not cast his vote. With the UDF holding 102 seats in the Assembly, Usman’s victory was widely anticipated.
The 60-year-old Congress leader is a two-time MLA and one of the prominent women faces of the party in Kerala. Her election makes her the fourth woman to hold the Deputy Speaker’s post and the first woman in over 30 years to do so. Before her, the position was held by A. Nafeesath Beevi in 1960, K.O. Aisha Bai in 1957, and Bhargavi Thankappan in 1987.