<p>Kerala CPM government's much-hyped high-speed rail project has got a major boost with the BJP state leadership backing an alternative suggested by 'Metro Man' E Sreedharan, who was a BJP candidate in the last Kerala Assembly elections.</p>.<p>The ongoing fast-paced developments over the project, which was on the back burner for almost a year, have triggered concerns in the Congress camps that it is a political strategy of the ruling CPM in Kerala and the BJP at the centre against the Congress.</p>.<p>A day after Congress leader turned Kerala CPM government's special envoy in Delhi, K V Thomas, calling on Sreedharan and seeking alternative suggestions, Sreedharan submitted a detailed note for reworking the existing detailed project report of the proposed semi-high-speed rail line, titled Silver Line. The next day itself BJP state president K Surendran called on Sreedharan and later told reporters that the BJP would back the alternative suggestions mooted by Sreedharan.</p>.<p><strong>Also Read | <a href="https://www.deccanherald.com/national/south/kerala-cpm-government-ropes-in-metro-man-sreedharan-for-silverline-project-1236179.html" target="_blank">Kerala CPM government ropes in 'Metro Man' Sreedharan for SilverLine project</a></strong></p>.<p>Congress leader and Lok Sabha MP K Muraleedharan said that the fast-paced developments over Silver Line seemed to be a well-planned political ploy of the CPM and the BJP against the Congress in the Lok Sabha elections. The sequence of developments right from K V Thomas meeting Sreedharan and BJP state president immediately backing it looks like pre-planned moves, he said.</p>.<p>Meanwhile, sources said that Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan may soon initiate a meeting with Sreedharan and officials of the Kerala Rail Development Corporation Ltd (K-Rail), which is the implementing agency of the project. As per Sreedharan's alternative suggestion major chunk of the line would be through tunnels and elevated paths. Hence the land requirement could be considerably reduced.</p>.<p>Last year the state witnessed widespread protests by local people against laying demarcation stones for acquiring land for the project. Even though the state government initially used police force against the protests, the stone laying process was later kept in abeyance citing the lack of nod from the centre for the project with an estimated cost of over Rs 1 lakh crore.</p>.<p>The defeat faced by the ruling CPM in the Thrikkakara assembly by-polls last year was also considered a reason for keeping the project in abeyance.</p>
<p>Kerala CPM government's much-hyped high-speed rail project has got a major boost with the BJP state leadership backing an alternative suggested by 'Metro Man' E Sreedharan, who was a BJP candidate in the last Kerala Assembly elections.</p>.<p>The ongoing fast-paced developments over the project, which was on the back burner for almost a year, have triggered concerns in the Congress camps that it is a political strategy of the ruling CPM in Kerala and the BJP at the centre against the Congress.</p>.<p>A day after Congress leader turned Kerala CPM government's special envoy in Delhi, K V Thomas, calling on Sreedharan and seeking alternative suggestions, Sreedharan submitted a detailed note for reworking the existing detailed project report of the proposed semi-high-speed rail line, titled Silver Line. The next day itself BJP state president K Surendran called on Sreedharan and later told reporters that the BJP would back the alternative suggestions mooted by Sreedharan.</p>.<p><strong>Also Read | <a href="https://www.deccanherald.com/national/south/kerala-cpm-government-ropes-in-metro-man-sreedharan-for-silverline-project-1236179.html" target="_blank">Kerala CPM government ropes in 'Metro Man' Sreedharan for SilverLine project</a></strong></p>.<p>Congress leader and Lok Sabha MP K Muraleedharan said that the fast-paced developments over Silver Line seemed to be a well-planned political ploy of the CPM and the BJP against the Congress in the Lok Sabha elections. The sequence of developments right from K V Thomas meeting Sreedharan and BJP state president immediately backing it looks like pre-planned moves, he said.</p>.<p>Meanwhile, sources said that Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan may soon initiate a meeting with Sreedharan and officials of the Kerala Rail Development Corporation Ltd (K-Rail), which is the implementing agency of the project. As per Sreedharan's alternative suggestion major chunk of the line would be through tunnels and elevated paths. Hence the land requirement could be considerably reduced.</p>.<p>Last year the state witnessed widespread protests by local people against laying demarcation stones for acquiring land for the project. Even though the state government initially used police force against the protests, the stone laying process was later kept in abeyance citing the lack of nod from the centre for the project with an estimated cost of over Rs 1 lakh crore.</p>.<p>The defeat faced by the ruling CPM in the Thrikkakara assembly by-polls last year was also considered a reason for keeping the project in abeyance.</p>