Kochi, July 28 : Leader of Opposition V.D.Satheesan on Monday said that if he fails to lead the Congress-led United Democratic Front (UDF) to power in Kerala in a big way, he will never be seen again in the public space.

"I assure that if I am not able to bring back the Congress-led UDF to power at the 2026 Assembly polls in a big way, I will leave the political space forever," Satheesan said.

The Congress leader was replying to the curt remarks by SNDP strongman Vellapally Natesan, who had termed Satheesan a leader who has no stature and doesn't behave the way a person occupying his post should do.

Natesan is the president of social organisation SNDP of the Hindu Ezhava community ' the single largest community in Kerala.

Satheesan, for a while, has been saying that at the 2026 Assembly polls, the Congress-led UDF will win with a staggering majority of 100 seats in the 140-member Kerala Assembly.

"The saving grace in his (Natesan) statement was when he said that if Congress led UDF wins 98 seats, then he will resign. So he himself says we will in 97 seats for sure. So to achieve my number of 100, we will work hard and ensure we reach that figure," Satheesan said.

At present, the Pinarayi Vijayan-led Left Democratic Front (LDF), which has been ruling the state since 2016, has 98 MLAs and the UDF 42.

Continuing to hit back at Natesan, Satheesan said: "He is a person who is reaching close to 90 years, and I will never use the type of words he used to describe me. While I will say he needn't resign, if we reach our target, but I will quit public life and none will ever see me again, if we don't reach the target."

Incidentally, for long, the CPI-M has enjoyed the support of the Ezhava community, while Natesan's son Tushar Vellapally heads the BDJS, the second-biggest constituent in the BJP-led NDA in Kerala.

Among the other long-standing political enemies of Natesan are Congress General Secretary and Alappuzha MP K.C.Venugopal and Congress veteran V.M.Sudheeran.

/IANS