Rahul Mamkootathil: The Rise, the Scandal, and the Politics Behind It
Rahul Mamkootathil’s case reveal the fault lines in Kerala politics, raising questions about morality, consent, and double standards.
The Congress party in Kerala has often prided itself on its internal democracy, but that same democracy has also made it prone to internal rivalries and rapid swings in leadership. Rahul Mamkootathil’s story, his sudden rise, and even more sudden fall, sits at the heart of this churn.
After the Congress’s defeat in the 2021 Kerala Assembly elections, there was a growing demand among party supporters for change. Many felt that the old guard, represented by leaders like Ramesh Chennithala and Mullappally Ramachandran, had failed to provide the energy or strategy required to take on the Left. As pressure mounted, the party’s high command made a bold shift: VD Satheesan was chosen as the new Leader of the Opposition.
Satheesan’s leadership style was markedly different. He signaled that it was time to push more young leaders to the forefront and create a new narrative for Congress in Kerala. Rahul Mamkootathil, already known for his friendship with Shafi Parambil and his ability to energize the youth cadre, became one of the faces of this generational shift. In Kerala’s political circles, few names rose as quickly in the last decade as Rahul Mamkootathil. A lawyer by training and an orator by instinct, Rahul cultivated the image of a modern politician: approachable, articulate, and ambitious. Together with Shafi, he symbolised the generational shift that the Congress party was eager to project in a state where it had been struggling to re-establish its dominance. He gathered attention from the media with his skills in live TV debates, where he didn’t hesitate to launch a scathing attack on Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan.
The turning point came in 2024, when Shafi Parambil vacated the Palakkad Assembly seat after being elected to Parliament. The Congress think tank took a calculated risk: they fielded Rahul, who was not from the Palakkad district. Dr. Sarin, a youth congress leader from Palakkad, expressed his differences and left the party due to the candidature of Rahul. Later, he was fielded as the candidate of LDF. It was a gamble that could have backfired, but instead, it paid off handsomely. Rahul won, turning what seemed like a handicap into proof of his statewide appeal. That victory was symbolic as it marked the success of the “youth experiment” Satheesan was championing.
Rahul’s victory and his appointment as State President of the Indian Youth Congress gave him both clout and visibility. For many party workers, he was the future. But for others, especially those who had been sidelined in the reshuffle, Rahul, Satheesan, and Shafi together represented the reason they had lost influence.
The Allegations and the Audio Clip
The scandal broke in waves. An actress alleged obscene messages, a transgender activist accused him of inappropriate online behaviour, and finally, an audio clip surfaced in which Rahul was allegedly heard urging a woman to terminate a pregnancy.
The media seized on the clip, framing it as a threat. But interpretations vary. To some, his words reflect coercion. To others, they reveal panic: an unmarried politician terrified of the fallout from a pregnancy out of wedlock. The woman’s calm but resistant tone appears to have triggered his frustration, giving the conversation its harsh edge.
What remains uncontested is that the relationship appears to have been consensual, at least initially. The dispute arose only when pregnancy entered the picture, colliding with Rahul’s political calculations.
Congress’s Response
The Congress leadership acted swiftly. Without waiting for a formal complaint, Rahul was suspended from the party and forced to step down as Youth Congress president. Leaders like Ramesh Chennithala and Uma Thomas spoke publicly against him, making it clear that Rahul was now politically isolated.
Behind this speed lay more than just moral outrage. With state elections approaching, the Congress think tank could not risk the possibility of more women coming forward. Probably the think tank might have got internal information about the flirtatious image of Rahul. Even a single fresh allegation would have been disastrous for the party’s image, as they are desperate to come back in power after 10 years. In a way, Rahul became collateral damage in a larger political strategy of damage control.
At the same time, the episode also revealed the internal politics of the party. Those sidelined after the 2021 defeat, who had watched as Satheesan, Shafi, and Rahul consolidated power, found in this scandal the perfect opportunity to strike back.
What makes Rahul’s case striking is the contrast with how other Kerala politicians have weathered similar storms. CPI(M) MLA and actor Mukesh, for instance, faced allegations of sexual misconduct raised during the #MeToo movement, but he continued in office without facing disciplinary action from his party. Similarly, Kadakampally Surendran, a senior CPI(M) leader, has dealt with political controversies and accusations in the past, yet retained his position and remained in active politics. Their parties shielded them, arguing that electoral legitimacy outweighed personal controversies unless proven in court.
Private Choices, Public Judgments
The controversy also raises an important question: where should the line be drawn between a politician’s personal life and their public role? If Rahul misbehaved with women without consent, that is a crime. If he had a physical relationship without consent, that too is a crime and must be condemned.
But what about consensual relationships? Rahul is unmarried. Should flirting or consensual affairs really be the basis on which we decide the fate of a political career? At the end of the day, politicians should be judged by their public actions, their policies, and their ability to serve people, not by the details of private relationships, unless those relationships involve coercion or abuse.
A Career in Suspense
For Rahul Mamkootathil, the road ahead is uncertain. He has gone from being one of the most promising young leaders in the state to being suspended and politically cornered. For Congress, the crisis highlights both its strength, i.e., the ability to act quickly in moments of danger, and its weakness, where internal rivalries often shape outcomes as much as facts or fairness.
Whether Rahul bounces back will depend on the outcome of inquiries, the timing of state elections, and how the public ultimately decides to view him: as a young leader undone by personal choices, or as a scapegoat caught in the middle of party politics.