Kochi: The Leader of the Opposition in the Kerala Assembly, V D Satheesan, on Saturday said that his priority is to bring the Congress-led United Democratic Front (UDF) back to power in the state. Satheesan added that the Congress leaders from the state have promised to the party’s national leadership that they would work in unity to ensure that the alliance wins over 100 seats in the assembly polls due next year.

Satheesan was speaking to media in Kochi a day after the Congress high command held a meeting with the party leaders from the state in Delhi on Friday.

The opposition leader said there was no chief ministerial aspirant in the Congress, including him. It was reported that he had made a similar statement at the higher-level meeting in Delhi, too, dismissing media reports about the internal rift in the party’s state unit with multiple leaders eyeing the CM’s post.

“If my priority is to become the chief minister, the UDF won’t return to power. As the UDF chairman, my priority is to bring the UDF to power by winning over 100 seats (in the 140-seat assembly). I will carry out that responsibility by joining my colleagues and leaders together. Hence, the media should not drag my name into any discussion (on CM probables). The Congress high command will decide who should be the chief minister. It has a system for that,” Satheesan said.

Satheesan also expressed displeasure over how the media reported the issues relating to the Congress. “Some media are selling the CPM’s narrative in Kerala. They are coming out as anti-Congress news,” he said.