Sreedharan's impact on Kerala poll results likely to be minimal: Shashi Tharoor

Shashi Tharoor said that the high point of Sreedharan's impact on Kerala polls will be the announcement of him joining the BJP itself, adding that he was surprised by Sreedharan's decision to enter politics and join the party.

Congress leader Shashi Tharoor on Sunday said E Sreedharan, who is set to join the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), will have very little impact on Kerala assembly election results as he has no political experience and added that the BJP is not a serious contender except in a few seats in the state. It would be very difficult for the party to improve upon the one seat it won last time, he said.

Congress MP Shashi Tharoor, who heads the 30-member panel on information and technology, till Thursday found support from Trinamool Congress (TMC) MP Mahua Moitra. (Sanjeev Verma/HT PHOTO)

Tharoor also said that the high point of Sreedharan's impact on Kerala polls will be the announcement of him joining the BJP itself, adding that he was surprised by Sreedharan's decision to enter politics and join the party.

"When I joined politics at 53, I thought I had left it too late to make the kind of impact I felt I was capable of. What can I say about someone who is 88?" he said.

Sreedharan, who recently announced that he will enter the political fray by joining the BJP, had told PTI last week that he will contest the assembly elections if the BJP wants and will also be open to chief ministership.

“It is not an impulsive decision but a well thought out one. I feel the BJP is the right party which can do justice to the state. Kerala has immense potential but I feel sorry about the state of affairs,” Sreedharan told the Hindustan Times after party state president K Surendran announced earlier this week that the 88-year-old would be joining politics.

Sreedharan, a railway civil engineer, acquired the tag of 'Metro Man' of India after he oversaw the launch of the Delhi metro rail project. He was also conferred several honours, including the Padma Shri and the Padma Vibushan. He retired as the chief of Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC) in 2011 and is credited with having revolutionised the way urban India commutes.

(with PTI inputs)