Palakkad MLA Rahul Mamkoottathil given separate seat in Kerala Assembly after removal from Congress amid sexual misconduct

Kerala Assembly Session Kicks Off with Tributes and Key Bills

The 14th session of the 15th Kerala Legislative Assembly started on Monday in Thiruvananthapuram, bringing together lawmakers for important discussions. But the day also turned emotional as the House paid heartfelt tributes to some of Kerala’s political legends who passed away recently.

Speaker A N Shamseer and Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan led the obituary references for former Chief Minister Velikkakathu Sankaran Achuthanandan, who died on July 21, 2025, at the age of 101. Known simply as VS Achuthanandan, he left a huge mark on Kerala’s history. "His passing ends a key chapter in our state’s social and political journey," the Chief Minister said. He praised VS for his role in boosting the communist movement, fighting for workers’ rights, and championing environmental causes and women’s issues—often crossing party lines.

VS Achuthanandan served as Kerala’s Chief Minister from 2006 to 2011 and was the longest-serving Leader of the Opposition in the assembly for 15 years. A founding member of the CPM, he held top roles like State Secretary from 1980 to 1992 and LDF convener from 1996 to 2000. The assembly, or Kerala Niyamasabha, felt the weight of his legacy during the tributes.

The session also remembered veteran Congress leader PP Thankachan, who died at 87 on September 11 in a private hospital in Ernakulam. Tributes went out too to CPI MLA Vazhoor Soman, who passed away on August 21 at age 72 after collapsing at a revenue meeting in Thiruvananthapuram.

Meanwhile, the session brought some drama with Palakkad MLA Rahul Mamkootathil. Facing serious sexual misconduct allegations from three women, he got suspended from the Congress party’s primary membership on August 25. A special crime branch team is now investigating the claims, including audio clips of alleged phone talks between him and the accusers. On Friday, Opposition Leader V D Satheesan wrote to the Speaker’s office, saying Mamkootathil is no longer part of the Congress and should sit as an independent. So, when the assembly opened, officials gave him a seat away from the UDF bloc, keeping things separate amid the controversy.

This Kerala Assembly session runs from September 15 to October 10, 2025, in three phases: September 15-19, September 29-30, and October 6-10, totaling 12 working days. It’s all about legislative work, with two days focused on passing bills, as Speaker Shamseer explained.

Lawmakers will tackle several key bills, like the Kerala General Sales Tax (Amendment) Bill, 2024; Kerala Societies Registration Bill, 2025; Kerala Guruvayur Devaswom (Amendment) Bill, 2025; and Kerala Coir Workers Welfare Cess (Amendment) Bill, 2025. They’ll also review the Kerala Public Records Bill, 2023, which a select committee studied after its introduction last year. Plus, the House will turn the Kerala Public Service Commission (Additional Functions in respect of Services under Universities) Amendment Ordinance, 2025, into a full bill.

The Business Advisory Committee meets today to finalize the schedule. On October 6, they’ll debate and vote on the 2025-26 budget demands, followed by the Appropriation Bill on October 7. The session wraps up on October 10, setting the stage for more action in Kerala’s political scene.

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