From Poster Boy to Political Liability: The Downfall of Rahul Mamkoottathil

Thiruvananthapuram: Congress MLA from Palakkad, Rahul Mamkoottathil, once flaunted as the Youth Congress’s brightest face, is now engulfed by a storm of damning allegations, rape under the pretext of marriage, forced abortion, and predatory abuse spanning victims from 18 to 60 years of age. Five women have already come forward despite many others still fearing to file complaints. The Crime Branch has filed a case before the Thiruvananthapuram Judicial First Class Magistrate Court, formally dragging the once-celebrated leader into the dock.

Rahul’s fall from grace has been swift and merciless. Stripped of both his Youth Congress president’s post and his primary membership, he is now caged inside his home, cornered by scandal. What once was projected as a rising star in Congress has crumbled into a litany of criminal charges and moral disgrace.

But this is only one front. Rahul has also been summoned in a separate case tied to the creation of over 2,000 fake ID cards for the Youth Congress State president election, allegedly forged in the name of the Election Commission. Despite repeated summons, he has skipped Crime Branch questioning, with investigators preparing to approach the court if he defies them again. Serious charges, cheating, forgery, criminal conspiracy, and fabrication of electronic records, hang over him, and an audio clip allegedly featuring him, seized from the phone of a co-accused, could yet make him an official accused in the case.

Add to that the murky fund-raising scandal. Under his leadership, the Youth Congress promised to build 30 houses at a cost of 8 lakh rupees each. While insiders initially said close to 4 crore rupees had been raised, Rahul later admitted only 88 lakh reached the official account. CPI M Wayanad district secretary Rafeeq has demanded answers from KPCC, pointing out that crores remain unaccounted for and that local leaders who dared question the misappropriation were swiftly expelled.

Meanwhile, Congress’s famed social media warriors, usually loud and relentless, have either gone silent or retreated to their standard excuse of “fake CPI M accounts.” Senior leaders, too, have perfected the art of selective memory, leaving Rahul to rot after years of propping him up.

Opposition Leader V D Satheeshan, once Rahul’s most vocal protector, now insists the disgraced MLA has “no association with UDF” and will be relegated to a solitary seat in the Assembly should he show his face. In a dizzying series of flip-flops, Satheeshan first called the decision “painful” and the high command’s alone, then claimed “full responsibility,” before blaming phantom CPI M trolls for “cyber-attacks.”

This performance would be laughable if it weren’t so damning. Satheeshan himself was informed of Rahul’s misconduct by a young actress three years ago, yet chose to shield him until the tide of outrage became too strong. Only after veterans like Ramesh Chennithala tightened the noose did the party cut Rahul loose. Now, KPCC says further actions are “under consideration,” as if expulsion was merely the appetizer.

Speaker A N Shamseer has confirmed Rahul has neither sought leave nor appeared in the Assembly. Should he dare to attend, he will be seated away from Congress MLAs, a humiliating spectacle that even Congress’s online loyalists privately beg to avoid. For a man once hailed as the party’s future, only silence, scandal, and an isolated chair now remain.

Amidst the avalanche of allegations, all eyes are now on Rahul Mamkoottathil as the Kerala Legislative Assembly convenes tomorrow. His presence inside the House could spark public protests outside, with anger already simmering on the streets. Congress, meanwhile, has scheduled a meeting at Indira Bhavan immediately after the Assembly session to discuss the deepening crisis. Further disciplinary action against Rahul is expected to be on the table.