'Metro Man' E Sreedharan 'open to CM post' if BJP wins Kerala; refuses to be Governor

After announcing his entry into BJP, 88-year-old 'Metro Man' E Sreedharan on Friday, said that he was open to chief ministership if BJP comes to power in Kerala, in an interview with PTI.  Strategising BJP's rule, he said that the focus of the saffron party will be to remove Kerala from the debt trap, develop infrastructure. Moreover, he said that he was not interested in governorship as he won't be able to contribute to state in such a 'constitutional' position with no powers at all. Kerala goes to polls in April-May.

EXCLUSIVE: ‘Metro Man’ Sreedharan says LDF, UDF only interested in power; bats for BJP

Metro Man: 'Open to CMship' 

'Metro Man' Sreedharan's decision to join BJP good boost for party in Kerala: MoS MEA

Metro Man to Republic TV: 'Not a single industry in Kerala' 

Speaking to Republic TV on his plans to join BJP, Sreedharan said, "After I left Delhi metro in 2011, I moved to Kerala and I have been living in Kerala for the last 9 years. I have seen the Congress-led UDF and CPM-led LDF governments under CPM. Both governments are only interested in party politics, and not the state as such. Moreover, there is a lot of rampant corruption under both governments. The state suffered and was not getting any tangible benefits from the governments."

"Now that I am free, all my assignments are over and I thought I will be useful to the state if I join the BJP. BJP will be able to access the central government's resources. In the last 20 years, not a single industry has come to Kerala and there is a high level of unemployment. No industry has come because the environment in Kerala not conducive. We want to create a congenial environment. These ideas made me join BJP," he added.

Top BJP netas set to campaign for Kerala polls; HM Shah, Yogi, Nirmala to address rallies

BJP's Kerala push

Aiming to conquer the final southern frontier, BJP  has lined up its top national leaders to be part of Vijaya Yatra from February 21 to March 7. Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath will flag off the party's rally at Kasargode in North Kerala on February 21 - kicking off 14 rallies and over 80 meetings, concluding at Thiruvananthapuram. The Yatra will see top BJP leaders like Minister of State for Road Transport & Highways, V K Singh, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, Former Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, Shahnawaz Hussein, Khushbu Sundar, Smriti Irani, Tejasvi Surya, Meenakshi Lekhi, K Annamalai, with Home Minister Amit Shah concluding the poll rally at Thiruvananthapuram. While BJP has no footprint in Kerala, there is an intense poll battle between the Left (LDF) and Congress (UDF).

'Metro Man' E Sreedharan to join BJP in Kerala ahead of polls; party asks him to contest