E Sreedharan Quits Active Politics Less Than A Year After Joining BJP

Mumbai: Technocrat E Sreedharan, popularly known as Metroman, announced on Thursday that he’s quitting active politics, saying he was never a politician but a bureaucrat.

Sreedharan, who is credited with helping construct India’s first metro in Kolkata, cited his age as the primary reason behind his decision.

Speaking to the media at his hometown in Malappuram, he said, “Many people do not know, I am 90 years old now and I am in the advanced stage as far as my age is considered. When I say I am quitting active politics, it doesn’t mean I am leaving politics.”

E Sreedharan had joined the BJP in Kerala in April 2021, ahead of the assembly elections in the state. He contested from the Palakkad constituency and was also announced as the chief ministerial face of the BJP before his name was withdrawn. He lost the election to sitting Congress MLA Shafi Parambil.

“When I lost the polls, I felt sad, but now I am not sad because with one legislator nothing can be done,” E Sreedharan told the media.

“I was never a politician as I am a bureaucrat and even though I am not going to be active in politics, I can always serve the people in other ways. I have three Trusts and I have work that needs to be done,” he added.

During his election campaign earlier this year, the ‘Metroman’ made several controversial comments during interviews, including backing the BJP’s ‘love jihad’ bogey and the subject of the beef ban.

However, as an MLA, Sreedharan’s promises included increased jobs in the constituency and more industry and development in the constituency.

While he was defeated at the polls, he had said in an earlier interview that he was confident of winning the seat and that he had even set up an MLA office in Palakkad and taken a house on rent there, to shift to the constituency.

Follow us on Twitter, Instagram, and like us on Facebook for the latest updates and interesting stories.