Celebrity leaders fall leaves Congress scrambling
THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The Congress partys decision to expel Rahul B R, popularly known as Rahul Mamkootathil, marked a dramatic fall for the young Palakkad MLA who once enjoyed widespread popularity across Kerala. A Youth Congress president with a massive fan following at a time, Rahuls meteoric rise ended in ignominy after mounting sexual assault allegations forced the party to take the ultimate action. Until August 21, Rahul was a political superstar, commanding blind loyalty from supporters who even targeted senior party leaders critical of him. His influence, rivalled only by his mentor, Vadakara MP Shafi Parambil, made him Keralas first celebrity leader. With his fall, the Congress faces political and moral fallout merely a week away from the local body elections. A senior leader said, He got what he asked for. It would now be a herculean task for the Congress to bring itself back on the campaign trail. There is also relief. However, though the leadership terms the decision timely, Congress insiders argue that acting even a day earlier could have handed the party a moral advantage. Now, everyone realises we were waiting for the courts decision. Had anticipatory bail been granted, the party might have acted differently, said a KPCC office-bearer. Political commentator Sreekumar Manayil noted that the delay had another consequence. Congress failed to highlight the LDF governments shortcomings as its leadership was occupied with the Rahul episode. The party lost valuable campaign time. Both Congress and CPM now face a mixed political scenario, he said. The leaders noted that the delayed decision to expel the MLA had a direct link to the support Rahul continued to enjoy even after he was suspended. Still, despite the controversy, the leaders insisted that local voters remain primarily concerned with ward-level concerns. However, it is uncertain whether issues like the Sabarimala gold theft case or CPM MP John Brittas involvement in the PM SHRI project will influence voters. Who benefits from the Sabarimala controversy is up for debate as BJP is also seeking a share of the spoils. Chances are, it is unlikely to become a major factor in the local body elections, said the Congress leader. Rahuls ouster is also expected to tone down the all-out attacks he and Shafi had mounted against Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan and CPM, an aggressive style of politics that netted them fans. N Sreekumar, former resident editor of Veekshanam Daily, said, The intensity of their attacks grew after Rahul became the Youth Congress president, and peaked during the Nilambur by-election. With Shafi now under scrutiny for mentoring Rahul, that aggressive approach is likely to diminish. While supporters of Leader of Opposition V D Satheesan had hoped to reap political benefits from the Rahul row, sources say the overall power equation within Congress remains largely unchanged. Satheesans role in the local body polls is at par with other leaders. If the UDF sweeps the polls, it will benefit the leadership. The axis between KPCC president Sunny Joseph, working presidents A P Anil Kumar, P C Vishnunadh and Shafi Parambil, and UDF convenor Adoor Prakash is intact and retains influence with backing of AICC general secretary K C Venugopal, a senior leader noted.
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