Mamkootathil finds powerful voices of support in Congress, signalling possible end to political isolation

Embattled Congress leader Rahul Mamkootathil, MLA, whose political future seems to have been in a state of limbo since his suspension from the party following accusations of sexual misconduct last week, appeared to have found powerful voices of support calling for an end to his isolation on Sunday.

The Congress leadership’s latest stance on the “Mamkootathil issue” seemed to be at odds with its earlier hardline position, including calls for his resignation as Palakkad MLA, especially from an array of women leaders. The party had also barred Mr. Mamkootathil from the Congress Legislative Party (CLP).

United Democratic Front (UDF) convener Adoor Prakash appeared to strongly signal a possible change in the party’s tack by unequivocally terming the charges against Mr. Mamkoothatil “unsubstantiated” and stating that the Palakkad MLA would attend the Assembly session, which commences on September 15.

Notably, Speaker A.N. Shamseer’s office had clarified that it had not received any intimation concerning Mr. Mamkoothathil’s purported debarment from the CLP, and the MLA had not applied for leave so far. Mr. Prakash was circumspect about the UDF’s floor strategy, including whether Mr. Mamkootathil would attend CLP meetings and retain his seat in the Opposition’s benches.

‘Ploy by CPI(M)‘

A Congress insider said the party was gravitating towards the view that the Communist Party of India (Marxist) [CPI(M)] had attempted to drop a political bombshell ahead of the local body polls by launching a muckraking campaign against Mr. Mamkootathil to scandalise the UDF.

He said it was not lost on the Congress that the first Pinarayi Vijayan government had attempted a similar gambit on the eve of the 2021 Assembly elections. (The government had referred the case concerning accusations of sexual misconduct raised by a woman against Congress leaders to allegedly stack the odds in the ruling Left Democratic Front’s (LDF) favour. The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) later exonerated the leaders.)

The Congress also signalled its willingness to take its retaliatory campaign to the doorstep of the CPI(M) by petitioning the State Police Chief (SPC) to investigate accusations of sexual misconduct against a former LDF Minister. The season of mudslinging in Kerala politics appears poised to intensify in the run-up to the local body polls.