While spearheading the Congress-led UDF’s campaign in the Kerala Assembly elections, 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.” His several Congress colleagues had then raised doubts about Satheesan’s claim, but when counting of votes ended Monday, the LoP had the last laugh. The UDF won 102 seats, which marked its best-ever tally in the state. In the election, Satheesan, 61, has also won from his Paravur constituency in Ernakulam district for sixth consecutive term. While there are several chief ministerial aspirants in the Congress, he is widely considered to be a key front-runner in the race for the top post now. In February this year, he had taken out a statewide tour in a bid to galvanise the Congress’s rank and file for the high-stakes elections, which seems to have yielded electoral dividends for the party.…