Thiruvananthapuram: Until some time ago, Rahul Mamkootathil embodied the Congress’s hopes for a generational shift in Kerala politics.

But since last week, things went topsy-turvy for Mamkootathil following a sexual assault case, and minutes after a court here on Thursday dismissed his anticipatory bail plea in this case, the Congress removed him from the primary membership of the party. Incidentally, his expulsion came exactly a year ahead of his being sworn in as an MLA.

In his mid-thirties, fresh-faced, articulate and unusually self-assured for a first-time MLA, Mamkootathil was seen as part of a small but rising cohort of leaders capable of reconnecting the party with younger voters.

His ascent was quick, almost improbable, and his fall, now playing out in real time, has been even s

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