Mayor Suma Balakrishnan of the Kannur Corporation has stepped down from her post and submitted her letter of resignation to the Corporation Secretary.
She vacated the post in accordance with a deal between the Congress and the IUML which allowed Ms. Balakrishnan to continue as Mayor for the six months of the remaining one year of the council.
A woman member of the IUML will be Mayor in the final leg of the term. The Mayor’s post in the corporation is reserved for women.
Meanwhile, the UDF candidate, P.K. Ragesh, was re-elected Deputy Mayor in the election held at the collectorate here on Friday.
In the 55-member council, Mr. Ragesh defeated the LDF candidate, Vellora Rajan, by one vote.
The election was held after the LDF moved a no-confidence motion against Mr. Ragesh. He had to step down from the post of Deputy Mayor after IUML councillor K.P.A. Salim voted in favour of the LDF over his differences with the UDF leadership.
However, the UDF camp managed to convince the IUML councillor, paving the way for Mr. Ragesh to regain the post.
He has been holding the post since 2016 after he contested the corporation elections as an Independent candidate following his differences with the Congress. His win turned crucial as his vote helped the LDF come to power for the first time after the corporation came into being. Later, he switched sides, bringing the UDF to power.