KPCC meeting outwardly muted over Mamkootathil’s attendance in Assembly

The Kerala Pradesh Congress Committee (KPCC)’s leadership meeting remained outwardly muted about whether suspended Congress legislator Rahul Mamkootathil’s attempt to regain political space by attending the Assembly would retard the Opposition United Democratic Front (UDF)’s floor strategy to put the ruling front on trial in the House over issues such as police brutality and alleged corruption in the CPI(M) leadership in Thrissur. 

A Congress insider said the closed-door meeting seemed not to have broached the “Mamkootathil issue” in length. However, he stated that there appeared to be a consensus among top leaders that Mr Mamkootathil’s “surprise attendance” in the Assembly had helped the ruling front in directing the day’s news cycle away from issues plaguing the government. 

He said a section of the KPCC leadership believed that Mr. Mamkootathil might stay away from the final Assembly session before the local body polls to prevent repeating the tactical mistake of blunting the UDF’s foray against the government in the House. 

Notably, senior Congress leader Ramesh Chennithala and Leader of the Opposition V.D. Satheesan disregarded questions regarding the KPCC’s position on Mr. Mamkootathil continuing in office.

KPCC president Sunny Joseph, MLA, reiterated that Mr. Mamkootathil remained an elected representative despite his suspension from the party’s primary membership and subsequent debarment from the Congress Legislative Party (CLP). 

Congress Working Committee member Kodikunnil Suresh told reporters that Mr. Mamkootathil was outside the party’s remit and leaders were not obligated to explain, defend or criticise the Palakkad MLA’s actions. KPCC working president P. C. Vishnunath averred that the onus was on Mr. Mamkootathil to decide his course of action. 

The KPCC meeting resolved to expose the LDF’s bid to tap into public funds for campaigning purposes by staging development conferences at the fag end of its tenure in power. 

It proposed to enlist national leaders to campaign against the Election Commission of India (ECI)‘s alleged bid to disenfranchise Kerala voters by using the Special Intensive Revision of the voters’ list as a pretext to stack the odds in favour of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in the upcoming local body polls and the Assembly elections in 2026.