Thiruvananthapuram, June 2: Congress leader Shanimol Osman was on Tuesday elected as the Deputy Speaker of the Kerala Legislative Assembly, marking a significant political milestone as she becomes the fourth woman in the state’s history to hold the constitutional post.
She secured 99 votes, while her opponent, LDF candidate Muhammed Muhsin, received 34 votes in the election held in the Assembly. Members of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) abstained from voting.
Following the announcement of results, the Speaker formally declared Shanimol Osman elected as Deputy Speaker of the House.
A senior leader of the Indian National Congress representing the Aroor constituency, Osman’s election comes as the newly constituted Assembly begins its legislative term. Her victory reflects the numerical strength of the United Democratic Front (UDF) in the House.
With this election, Osman joins a small group of women who have held the Deputy Speaker’s position in Kerala, underscoring increasing female representation in the state’s legislative leadership.
The Deputy Speaker’s post plays a key role in presiding over Assembly proceedings in the absence of the Speaker and ensuring the smooth functioning of legislative business.
Osman, who has been active in state politics and organisational roles within the Congress, is also one of the prominent women voices in the current Assembly, representing Aroor constituency in Alappuzha district.
The election is being seen as an important moment in Kerala’s political landscape, reinforcing the evolving role of women in leadership positions within the state legislature.