India / 'Metro Man' E Sreedharan joins BJP in Kerala

Thiruvananthapuram: India’s ‘Metroman’ E Sreedharan on Thursday, 25 February, joined the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in Kerala, just weeks ahead of the state Assembly elections.

“A great day for Kerala which look forward to politics based on development agenda. Welcome to BJP Metro Man,” the party’s Kerala handle tweeted.

Why Did he Join BJP?

Last week, confirming the news that he would be joining the party, Sreedharan had said that the reason behind the decision was that he had been living in Kerala for the last ten years and tried his best to bring in development in the state but had met with political resistance.

“I have been living in Kerala for 10 years, but I have noticed that the LDF and UDF are only interested in their political growth, not in the state’s growth. In this scenario, it is only the BJP that can do something for the state,” he had said, according to The News Minute.

Sreedharan said that he was open to contesting polls but had left the decision up to the party. “If BJP wants, I will contest (the Assembly elections),” Sreedharan told PTI.

The 88-year-old technocrat said that his main aim is to bring BJP to power in Kerala and once that happens he will focus mainly on infrastructure development and will bring industry to the state.

Speaking to PTI, Sreedharan had also said last week that he will be open to chief ministership.

On being asked whether he will be open to chief ministership, Sreedharan said:

“If they (BJP) want, certainly. To tell you very frankly, unless I am the chief minister these (priorities) cannot be achieved.”

Who is Sreedharan?

Elattuvalapil Sreedharan, popularly known as the 'Metro Man', is credited for changing the face of public transport in India by his leadership in building Konkan Railway and the Delhi Metro, when he served as its managing director between 1995 and 2012.

In June 2019, a Padma Vibhushan awardee, Sreedharan submitted his resignation as the Principal Advisor to Lucknow Metro Rail Corporation (LMRC) citing health issues.

Minister of state for external affair and senior BJP leader V Muraleedharan told ANI on Friday that Sreedharan’s entry is going to prove beneficial to the party and will give BJP a good boost in Kerala.

"Sreedharan's joining the BJP in Kerala is making a huge impact. It denotes the BJP's slogan of efficient, transparent and non-corrupt people in political activities," Muraleedharan was quoted as saying by news agency ANI.