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‘Metro Man’ E Sreedharan BJP’s Chief Minister Candidate: Union Minister

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‘Metro man’ E Sreedharan joined the BJP final month (File)

Thiruvananthapuram:

E Sreedharan, the ‘metro man’ of India would be the BJP’s chief ministerial candidate for subsequent month’s Kerala Meeting election, Union Minister V Muraleedharan tweeted Thursday night.

“Kerala BJP will struggle Kerala polls with E Sreedharanji as its chief ministerial candidate. We are going to defeat each CPM and Congress to offer a corruption-free, development-oriented governance for the folks of Kerala,” Mr Muraleedharan stated.

“BJP, below the in a position management of PM Shri Narendra Modiji will attempt to care for the wants of the folks of Kerala. The brand new Kerala below E Sreedharanji will pave the best way for an environment friendly & efficient Govt within the state,” he added.

The BJP’s resolution to mission Mr Sreedharan as its chief ministerial candidate is opposite to an unwritten rule within the occasion – that no one over 75 may be thought-about for a ministerial berth or position.

Mr Sreedharan will flip 89 in June. There’s, nevertheless, fast priority for exceptions to that rule; BS Yediyurappa was 76 when he was sworn in as Chief Minister of Karnataka in 2019.

Union Minister Muraleedharan’s tweets got here shortly after Okay Surendran, the BJP’s Kerala chief, threw his weight behind Mr Sreedharan, who solely formally joined the party last week.

“‘Metro man’ E Sreedharan constructed (a) bridge in 5 months with out corruption. Not just like the flyover which needed to be introduced down and was reflective of CPM-UDF misrule. We now have requested the occasion to make E Sreedharan the Chief Minister candidate,” Mr Surendran stated at a celebration assembly in Thiruvalla.

That was the second time in two weeks that Mr Surendran batted for Mr Sreedharan; final month, at an rally in Kasargod, he stated the ‘metro man’ was “qualified to adorn any post… together with Chief Minister”.

Earlier at this time Mr Sreedharan visited the Palarivattom flyover in Kochi – dressed within the uniform of the Delhi Metro Rail Company (DMRC) for the final time in his engineering profession.

“This would be the final day I put on this uniform. I wore the DMRC’s out of doors uniform for the primary time in November 1997… Similar apply I continued for final 24 years,” he was quoted by information company ANI.

Mr Sreedharan stated he was anticipating a “huge” win within the election, and that he had “made just one demand” – “I wish to contest in a constituency not removed from Ponnani the place I’m residing now.”

“I can’t be working like a politician… I’ll work like a technocrat,” he stated.

Final month Mr Sreedharan stated he couldn’t obtain his objectives for Kerala “except I’m Chief Minister”.

“If BJP involves energy in Kerala, there will likely be three to 4 main areas we wish to focus. One is infrastructure growth in an enormous means and one other is to convey business,” he stated final month.

“If BJP needs, I’ll contest (the elections),” he stated throughout an interview over the cellphone, including, “(and) to inform you very frankly, unless I am Chief Minister these priorities cannot be achieved.”

The BJP has only one MLA within the 140-strong Kerala Meeting (up from zero in 2011), however is hopeful that Mr Sreedharan’s charisma and enchantment will rub off on the occasion’s fortunes.

Mr Sreedharan’s entry into electoral politics has been performed down by the BJP’s rivals in Kerala.

Congress MP Shashi Tharoor stated he thought the ‘metro man’ would have a “minimal impact”.

Kerala will vote in a single section on April 6 with outcomes due Could 2.

Mr Sreedharan first made headlines whereas restoring the historic Pamban bridge in Tamil Nadu, the hyperlink between the island Rameshwaram and the mainland, after it was broken by a cyclone.

He was awarded the Padma Shri in 2001 and the Padma Vibhushan in 2008.

With enter from ANI, PTI