'Metro Man' E Sreedharan to join BJP, says 'I'd like to do something for Kerala, open to contesting polls'

E Sreedharan will formally join the BJP during its Vijay Yatra that will be led by Kerala BJP chief K Surendran from 21st February.

Thiruvananthapuram: 'Metro Man' E Sreedharan is all set to join the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in Kerala. He will formally join the party during its Vijay Yatra that will be led by Kerala BJP chief K Surendran from February 21. BJP's Vijay Yatra is an attempt to expand the party's footprints in south India ahead of the Assembly elections scheduled between April and May.

"I would like to inform that highly influential people from various quarters have informed us that they would like to join the party. E Sreedharan, who has been respected worldwide and is a pride of our country has informed us that he would like to join the party. He will join the party officially during the 'Vijay yathra'," K Surendran said while addressing a press conference in Kasaragod.

The rath yatra will be launched from Kasaragod and culminate in Thiruvananthapuram around the first week of March. Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath will flag off the yatra.

Speaking later, Surendran told news agency ANI: "I am happy to welcome 'Metro Man' E Sreedharan. He has unimpeachable integrity and credibility. People like him joining BJP is the goodwill of Modi govt and its developmental agenda. We will move forward with him and reclaim Kerala."

Open to contesting polls: E Sreedharan

Talking on his decision of joining Sreedharan said, "I've expressed my intention to join BJP. The main reason to join BJP is that both UDF and LDF couldn't do many things here. I'd like to do something for Kerala. For that, I've to stand with BJP. I've said that I'm open to contest polls."

Sreedharan retired as chief of the Delhi Metro in 2011. He is lauded for changing the face of public transport in India with his leadership in building the Konkan Railway. The engineer has also been involved in other Metro projects in Jaipur, Lucknow and Kochi.

The 'Metro Man' was awarded the Padma Shri in 2001 and the Padma Vibhushan in 2008. He has also worked on restoring the historic Pamban bridge in Tamil Nadu, that links the island Rameshwaram and the mainland, after it was damaged by a cyclone.