'Metro Man' E Sreedharan is BJP’s CM face in Kerala: State BJP chief

E Sreedharan, who joined the Bharatiya Janata Party last month, will be the BJP’s chief ministerial candidate in the assembly elections in Kerala, the party's chief of the state unit K Surendran said, according to news agency ANI on Thursday. "E Sreedharan will be BJP's chief minister candidate in the upcoming Kerala assembly elections," Surendran was quoted as saying by ANI.

Union minister of state for external affairs V Muraleedharan had said that Sreedharan will be the chief ministerial candidate for the upcoming Kerala assembly elections but later withdrew his statement.

The 88-year-old Sreedharan, who is known for his role in setting up the Delhi Metro, announced on February 18 that he will join the BJP. He told reporters that his aim was to help the party come to power in Kerala and that he was open to the chief ministership. He also said the focus will be on developing infrastructure if the BJP won the assembly polls.

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Sreedharan, who visited the Palarivattom flyover being reconstructed, said the people of Kerala will elect his party to power and he is expecting a "big" victory in the assembly elections. "People know very well what is good for them and what is good for the state. I am very confident they will elect BJP to power. I am expecting a big victory. I have made only one demand to the BJP that I want to contest in a constituency not far away from Ponnani where I am residing now," he was quoted as saying by ANI.

Also read | ‘Metro Man’ E Sreedharan joins BJP: Can he change party’s fortune in Kerala?

The BJP leader also said it is the mental age rather than the physical one that decides what responsibilities one should take up. "It is the age of the mind that matters, not only the age of the body. Mentally, I am very alert and young. So far, I don't have any issues with health. I don't think health will be much of an issue. I will not be working as a normal politician. I will continue to work like a technocrat," he said.

The election to the 140-member Kerala assembly will be held on April 6 and the votes will be counted on May 2.