Technocrat to politician: 'Metro Man' E Sreedharan's journey

Speaking at the first convocation of Indira Gandhi Delhi Technical University for Women in December 2018, 'Metro Man' E Sreedharan had pitched that the future of the country lies in the hands of engineers and technocrats and not politicians. Today, as the 88-year-old kick starts his political career as Bharatiya Janata Party's (BJP) chief ministerial face for the Kerala Assembly elections 2021, he has put forth 'development' on the table, with the aim of leading the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) to victory in the southern state.

Native to Karukaputhur taluk of Kerala's Palakkad, Sreedharan is contesting from the same district with the NDA ticket with hopes that people will vote for him because of his "selfless" work for the good of the society in the past. However, Kerala, which will be holding a single-phase election on April 6, is not the only state where the technocrat-turned-politician enjoys the status of a public figure as the 'Metro Man'.

Also read: Vijayan good for his party, not the state: 'Metro Man' launches Kerala poll campaign

Sreedharan's relentless work in transforming public transport in India, particularly his work with Delhi and Konkan Metro, led to his identification as the 'Metro Man'. With humble beginnings in the early 1970s, when he was in charge of the implementation of India's first-ever metro Kolkata metro, Sreedharan's career took off when he was appointed the managing director of Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC) in 1997.

The Jawaharlal-Nehru-Technological-University alumna helmed both Kolkata and Delhi Metro projects and later went on to become an advisor for the Kochi and Lucknow Metro Projects. Even before he showed an inclination towards joining politics, Sreedharan, over the past few years, has been been known to promote BJP's political agenda. In 2019, while he was serving the role of the principal advisor to the DMRC, the 'Metro Man' had alleged that the Delhi government's proposal of free travel for women is an "election gimmick". Following which, AAP member Atishi had urged the technocrat to not get involved in politics as he was merely being used by BJP to convey its message.

A retired Indian Engineering Service (IES) officer, Sreedharan served as the M-D of Delhi Metro till 2012 and later assumed the role of principal advisor. He was appointed as the head of a committee to lay down standards for metro rail systems in the country in 2018. Approved by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the committee is in charge of recommending indigenous benchmarks on layout of platforms, size of tunnels and disaster management system.

Embarking on his political career, he had to end his 24-year-long career with the DMRC and also had to give up his "state icon" title in Kerala as the Election Commission poster boy to create awareness among people about their voting rights. But he is interestingly using his image as the 'Metro Man' to campaign with promises of infrastructure development in the state. On several occasions, after being inducted into the BJP, he has put forth the agenda to make Palakkad — where BJP was the runner-up in the 2016 elections — the best constituency in two years' time. Sitting MLA Shafi Parambil of the Congress and CPI(M)'s C P Pramod are his main rivals in the election.

Taking a dig at Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, Sreedharan recently said, "He is a good chief minister for his party but not for the state." Nevertheless, the rift between incumbent Kerala CM Pinarayi Vijayan and Sreedharan dates back to 2018 when the then DMRC advisor was supported by the opposition parties. The Congress-led UDF and BJP opposition had alleged that the ruling LDF was trying to keep away 'Metro Man' from the Light Metro projects of the state.

Also read: 'Metro Man' E Sreedharan no longer Election Commission's poster boy in Kerala

It is little known that in 2019, Sreedharan had claimed that he was offered a ministerial post at the Centre which he had to decline due to his age. “I was offered a Central ministership after Narendra Modi retained power in 2019. But I had to step aside as I was over 75 years," Sreedharan was quoted as saying by onmanorama, according to a report by The Week.

With everything seeming right for NDA candidate, what could possibly go wrong?

Recipient of both the Padma Vibhushan and the Padma Shri award, Sreedharan has not sparked any major controversy like other politicians. However, in his recent interviews, while commenting on the issues of 'Love Jihad', Jammu and Kashmir lockdown and the ban on meat, he has invited a war of words by the opposition.

The BJP leader reportedly said that he is a "very very strict vegetarian" and doesn't even eat eggs. "Certainly I don't like anybody eating meat," he added. Referring to the issue of 'Love Jihad', Sreedharan said, "... I see what has happened in Kerala. How Hindus are being tricked in a marriage and how they suffer... not only Hindus, Muslim, the Christian girls are being tricked in a marriage. Now that sort of a thing I certainly will oppose."

In Kerala, where the BJP contender is promising the "lost glory", incumbent government are always ousted, a strategic outcome often credited to the politically aware citizens of the state. According to reports, a poll by CrowdWisdom360 shows the LDF winning 75, UDF 63 and NDA 2 seats, the majority mark being 71. Political strategists have argued that although it seems unlikely that Sreedharan-led BJP will dent the chances of the leading political fronts majorly, he stands a chance in the district he is contesting from.