Thiruvananthapuram, June 2 -- Congress leader Shanimol Usman was elected as the deputy speaker of the 16th Kerala legislative assembly on Tuesday.

She is the fourth woman MLA to hold the post and the first in over three decades.

In the election held on Tuesday, Usman, the sitting MLA from Aroor in Alappuzha district and the United Democratic Front (UDF) nominee, defeated the Left Democratic Front (LDF) nominee and Pattambi MLA Muhammad Muhsin.

The election took place during the first assembly session after the Congress-led UDF returned to power and formed the government under chief minister VD Satheesan.

Usman received 99 votes and Muhsin got 34 votes in the 140-member House. Two UDF MLAs and one LDF legislator were absent, while thre...