From Youth icon to rape accused : The rise and fall of Rahul Mamkoottathil
Mamkootathil's political break came in November last year when the Congress leadership made the bold decision to field him, the state Youth Congress President, in the Palakkad Assembly by-election. The choice surprised even insiders.
Palakkad: The story of the ‘Rise and Fall of Rahul Mamkoottathil’ has all the elements required for a cinema script for the new generation directors in Malayalam cinema. The reason being the ‘hero’ is a young and aspirational Congress leader who rose to fame in 3 years and then turned out to be a disgrace for the Congress party and its followers in Kerala.
But since last week, things went ‘totally unexpected’ for Mamkootathil following a sexual assault case, and minutes after a court here on Thursday dismissed his anticipatory bail plea in this case, the Congress removed him from the primary membership of the party.
Incidentally, his expulsion came exactly a year ahead of his being sworn in as an MLA.
The entire Congress leadership which stood behind him throughout his political career had to disown him.
"We had already taken this decision few days ago. However, now we feel its time to sack him from the primary membership”, said VD Satheeshan, minutes after the sessions court rejected his bail plea.
Rahul, a political superstar with blind following among youngsters
In his mid-thirties, fresh-faced, articulate and unusually self-assured for a first-time MLA, Mamkootathil was seen as part of a small but rising cohort of leaders capable of reconnecting the party with younger voters.
His ascent was quick, almost improbable, and his fall, now playing out in real time, has been even swifter.
Mamkootathil's political break came in November last year when the Congress leadership made the bold decision to field him, the state Youth Congress President, in the Palakkad Assembly by-election. The choice surprised even insiders.
He was not a district heavyweight, nor someone rooted in traditional organisational ladders.
The gamble paid off. Mamkootathil won decisively, and his margin became a talking point within the UDF. In the months that followed, he was frequently seen on television debates, articulating the party's positions with confidence and fluency. His ability to deflect aggression and frame issues sharply earned him visibility far beyond Palakkad.
Until August 21, Rahul was a political superstar, commanding blind loyalty from supporters who even targeted senior party leaders critical of him. His influence, rivalled only by his mentor, Vadakara MP Shafi Parambil, made him Kerala’s first "celebrity leader”.
With his fall, the Congress faces political and moral fallout merely a week away from the local body elections. A senior leader said, "He got what he asked for. It would now be a herculean task for the Congress to bring itself back on the campaign trail.” There is also relief. However, though the leadership terms the decision timely, Congress insiders argue that acting even a day earlier could have handed the party a moral advantage.
"Now, everyone realises we were waiting for the court’s decision. Had anticipatory bail been granted, the party might have acted differently,” said a KPCC office-bearer.
Political commentator Sreekumar Manayil noted that the delay had another consequence. "Congress failed to highlight the LDF government’s shortcomings as its leadership was occupied with the Rahul episode. The party lost valuable campaign time. Both Congress and CPM now face a mixed political scenario,” he said.