Palakkad (Kerala), March 9 MLA Rahul Mamkootathil, who was expelled from the Congress following three allegations of sexual assault, said on Monday that the decision on whether he would contest the upcoming election would be up to the party.
Mamkootathil, who returned to his constituency here after receiving bail in all the sexual assault cases, told reporters that he would remain a loyal member of the party even after being expelled from the Congress.
When asked whether he would contest the upcoming election, the MLA said he had not made any such declaration.
"It was the party that fielded me for the election. If the party asks me to contest, I will contest. If the party asks me not to contest, I will not contest," he said.
When told that he was now outside the party, Mamkootathil said, "Even then, let the party decide."
Responding to a question on whether he was disappointed about not being able to contest the upcoming election for the Congress, Mamkootathil said that he has been involved in politics for 18 years, and during that time, he had only been an MLA for 1.5 years.
"I am not saying that one must always be a public representative in public life. Being a public representative is a significant role, especially in a constituency like Palakkad," he said.
Mamkootathil said that despite not being from Palakkad, the people of the constituency elected him as their MLA with a record margin.
When asked about the possible candidate in Palakkad, he said that the people of the constituency have a clear understanding of such matters.
"Palakkad has always elected people who uphold its secular values. Even during challenging times, Palakkad has made the right decisions," he said.
Regarding reports that the Congress was fielding actor Ramesh Pisharody, Mamkootathil declined to comment, saying, "Is that so?"