A brief yet controversial visit by suspended MLA Rahul Mankootathil to the Kerala Assembly on Monday has triggered fresh fissures within the Congress leadership. The move, seen as politically damaging, has deepened the divide between Leader of Opposition V D Satheesan and sections of the state leadership, particularly the three working presidents, who are increasingly shaping up as a parallel power hub.
Rahul, determined to stage a political comeback, appears to be waging a high-risk campaign to restore his standing in the party. His presence in the assembly, however, stirred discontent and confusion, as the KPCC-DCC office-bearers’ meeting held soon after the session was marked by heated criticism over the leadership’s ambiguous position on the issue.
Notably, Rahul’s close associate and working president Shafi Parambil kept away from the meeting. Satheesan, visibly displeased, refrained from speaking during the discussion, a move interpreted as a silent protest against certain senior leaders who are sympathetic to Rahul.
Senior leaders K Muraleedharan and V T Balram openly confronted the issue, directing sharp criticism at Youth Congress district president Nemon Shajeer, who had escorted Rahul into the assembly. Balram, highlighting the party’s public image concerns, questioned how such actions could be defended on social media. He also hit out at senior leaders for making contradictory statements, which he said only worsened the party’s credibility crisis.
KPCC president Sunny Joseph attempted to defend his earlier remarks to the press, but Balram rejected the explanation, stressing that the party should have categorically distanced itself from Rahul. While disciplinary action has been initiated against him, Balram argued that much more remains to be done, particularly given that Rahul’s appearance itself was inappropriate.
Muraleedharan further condemned the wave of cyber attacks targeting senior leaders like Satheesan. In response, the party set up a five-member panel led by Balram, with members M Liju, Deepthi Mary Varghese, Pazhakulam Madhu and P M Niyas, to investigate the online harassment. The team will also examine whether the digital media cell of the party was involved in fuelling the attacks.
Party insiders revealed that Rahul’s attendance at the assembly was not entirely unilateral, as a few leaders had tacitly approved his move. Though he sought a meeting with AICC state in-charge Deepa Dasmunshi, she declined. It remains uncertain whether Rahul will continue attending assembly sessions, but his actions indicate a calculated attempt to reassert his relevance in Congress politics.
