'Metro Man' E Sreedharan formally joins BJP

Technocrat E Sreedharan, popularly known as 'Metro Man', formally joined the BJP on Thursday.

BJP leaders welcomed Sreedharan to the party at a public function held at Malappuram in Kerala in connection with the ongoing statewide march, 'Vijay Yatra', by party state president K Surendran. Senior leaders, including union minister R K Singh, were present.

Speaking on the occasion, Sreedharan said that he served the nation for the last 67 years by working with the government and now he wished to work for the state. Hence he opted to join the BJP. Stating the reason for joining BJP, he said that he would be able to work sincerely and faithfully fo the state only by working with the BJP. He also thanked the party leaders for giving him the opportunity.

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The 88-year-old's decision to join the BJP was announced by the BJP state president. In subsequent interactions with the media, the technocrat-turned-politician said that he would like to be the Chief Minister of Kerala. He was highly hopeful of the BJP improving its position in Kerala from just one seat that it holds right now.

He is likely to contest in the coming Assembly polls either from his native district Palakkad or Malappuram district where he now lives.

A statement of Sreedharan that he would be happy to see Congress leader Oommen Chandy becoming the next Chief Minister rather than Pinarayi Vijayan getting a second term had also triggered a controversy. He had been closely associated with the Kerala government over the last several years for projects like the Kochi Metro. The current Left-front government had also given due credits to Sreedharan's technical opinion on reconstructing a new flyover at Palarivattom in Kochi and even entrusted him with the task of reconstructing it.