A day after the sessions court here granted him anticipatory bail in a rape case , Palakkad MLA Rahul Mamkootathil emerged from two weeks of hiding to cast his vote in the local body election Thursday.

Mammothathil, who has two rape cases against him, voted in the second phase, which saw seven of Kerala’s 14 districts cast their vote. The mla dismissed from Congress has allegedly been hiding since last month, when police booked him on charges of raping a woman and forcing her for abortion.

Several leaders, including Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan and Kerala Congress chief Sunny Joseph, also cast their votes.

The first phase on December 9 saw 70.91 percent polling; the second, 74.85 percent. Counting will be held Saturday.

Coming months before the Assembly election, the three-tie

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