Deepak Joy resigned from his positions as deputy mayor and councillor of Kochi Corporation on May 13, 2026, following his election as the Member of the Legislative Assembly (MLA) from the Tripunithura Assembly constituency. Joy, who served as a councillor for two terms, submitted his resignation to Corporation secretary P.S. Shibu. During his short tenure, he presented the first budget under the newly elected United Democratic Front (UDF) governing committee as the chairperson of the finance standing committee. He won the Tripunithura seat by defeating K.N. Unnikrishnan of the Left Democratic Front by over 18,000 votes. Following his resignation, both the councillor and deputy mayor positions were reported to the State Election Commission, which mandates a by-election within six months. The Congress party is now tasked with finding a replacement for Joy, although this decision will be delayed until discussions regarding the chief minister candidate are concluded. The party had previously arranged for split terms for the deputy mayor position, which may affect the selection process. Additionally, the Indian Union Muslim League (IUML) had initially sought the deputy mayor's position but was overlooked, leading to dissatisfaction within the party. Joy's successor will be determined by the Ernakulam District Congress Committee.