'Metroman' E Sreedharan | @PCMohanMP | Twitter

‘Metro man’ E Sreedharan to join BJP, party wants him to contest Kerala polls

Kerala BJP president K. Surendran says Sreedharan will join the BJP during the party’s ‘Vijay Yatra’, which will begin from 21 February.

by · ThePrint · Join

New Delhi: E. Sreedharan, the brain behind India’s metro rail project, is set to join the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), Kerala BJP president K. Surendran said Thursday. 

Surendran at a press conference said ‘Metro man’ Sreedharan will formally join the BJP during the party’s ‘Vijay Yatra’. The rally will be led by Surendran from 21 February.

According to BJP sources, the party is keen that he contests the upcoming assembly elections due in April-May. 

“His induction will boost the party’s image and will also motivate the cadre. At the same time, we are trying to make inroads in the state and if he contests the upcoming elections, it will help improve the prospects of the party in the future,” said a senior BJP leader. 

When ThePrint reached Sreedharan via phone calls, his secretary C.J. Matthew confirmed that he will be joining the BJP. 

Credited for transforming Delhi’s urban transport

Sreedharan retired as the chief of Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC) on 31 December 2011.

After his retirement from the DMRC where he served for over a decade, Sreedharan was appointed as the principal advisor of the Kochi Metro Rail Project. 

Sreedharan was honoured with two civilian awards — Padma Shri and Padma Vibhushan — for his contribution to the expansion of urban infrastructure in India. 

He is credited with transforming Delhi’s urban transport. Under his leadership, the first phase of Delhi Metro was successfully completed three months before the deadline. 

Hoping to make inroads in the southern state, the Kerala unit of the BJP has been trying to reach out to opinion-makers to join the party ahead of the elections, said party sources.

For this, the party has been trying to engage former government servants, retired police officers, lawyers, actors, among others, to help broaden its reach. 

Addressing the core committee of the BJP in the state earlier this month, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said he wanted the party to at least cross 70 seats in Kerala where it currently has only one MLA in the 140-member assembly. 

In the recently announced Budget, the Modi government had earmarked Rs 65,000 crore for 1,100 km roads in Kerala. 

“This is something that we have to convey to the people of the state as to what all development work is being carried out due to support from the Modi government at the Centre,” said another BJP leader. 

 

Why news media is in crisis & How you can fix it

India needs free, fair, non-hyphenated and questioning journalism even more as it faces multiple crises.

But the news media is in a crisis of its own. There have been brutal layoffs and pay-cuts. The best of journalism is shrinking, yielding to crude prime-time spectacle.

ThePrint has the finest young reporters, columnists and editors working for it. Sustaining journalism of this quality needs smart and thinking people like you to pay for it. Whether you live in India or overseas, you can do it here.

Support Our Journalism