While spearheading the Congress-led UDF’s campaign in the Kerala Assembly elections, then Leader of Opposition (LoP) V D Satheesan, 61, had declared that “If the UDF does not win 100 seats (of the state’s 140), I will quit politics and go into exile.” Several of his Congress colleagues had then scoffed at the statement, but following the poll results Satheesan had the last laugh. The UDF won 102 seats, its best-ever tally, with the Congress winning 63 seats.

Satheesan, 61, who also won from his Paravur constituency in Ernakulam district for sixth consecutive term, emerged as a key architect of the UDF’s resounding win.…