Report Wire

Tag: E Sreedharan

  • LDF drunk with energy, time to get up, save Kerala, says Metroman E Sreedharan

    By Express News Service

    KOCHI: Drunk with energy, the LDF authorities in Kerala is resorting to a collection of violent actions which have damage the state past restore, mentioned Metroman E Sreedharan on Thursday, who can also be the nationwide government member of the BJP.

    Quoting Napoleon he mentioned, “The world has suffered a lot, not because of the violence of bad people but the silence of good people.”

    He mentioned the LDF is launching private assaults together with vocal abuses on the Governor as he’s blocking large-scale again door induction of celebration comrades in Universities, state Secretariat and public sector enterprises.

    The LDF is issuing ordinances to clip the powers of the Governor and the Lok Ayukta to guard just a few people concerned in illegal actions. The police power is being blatantly misused to safeguard celebration pursuits.

    ALSO READ | LDF govt doesn’t want classes from Centre on welfare funding: Pinarayi

    He mentioned the Assembly ruckus case is a basic instance of the federal government going sluggish on implementing the legislation in circumstances the place events are concerned.

    “Reckless borrowing and extravagant spending have pushed the state into bankruptcy. The government is promoting corruption at all levels, particularly in the cooperative banking sector. It is time for the good people to wake up and save the state,” he mentioned. 

    KOCHI: Drunk with energy, the LDF authorities in Kerala is resorting to a collection of violent actions which have damage the state past restore, mentioned Metroman E Sreedharan on Thursday, who can also be the nationwide government member of the BJP.

    Quoting Napoleon he mentioned, “The world has suffered a lot, not because of the violence of bad people but the silence of good people.”

    He mentioned the LDF is launching private assaults together with vocal abuses on the Governor as he’s blocking large-scale again door induction of celebration comrades in Universities, state Secretariat and public sector enterprises.

    The LDF is issuing ordinances to clip the powers of the Governor and the Lok Ayukta to guard just a few people concerned in illegal actions. The police power is being blatantly misused to safeguard celebration pursuits.

    ALSO READ | LDF govt doesn’t want classes from Centre on welfare funding: Pinarayi

    He mentioned the Assembly ruckus case is a basic instance of the federal government going sluggish on implementing the legislation in circumstances the place events are concerned.

    “Reckless borrowing and extravagant spending have pushed the state into bankruptcy. The government is promoting corruption at all levels, particularly in the cooperative banking sector. It is time for the good people to wake up and save the state,” he mentioned. 

  • Kerala’s bold SilverLine rail challenge “an idiotic decision”, says metroman E Sreedharan

    Express News Service

    KOCHI: Metro man E Sreedharan has mentioned the much-touted Thiruvananthapuram-Kasaragod semi high-speed rail hall (SilverLine) challenge is a good folly.

    “The alignment chosen is flawed. From Tirur to Kasaragod, it runs parallel to the existing railway line. The Railways has opposed this alignment as it would interfere with the future quadrupling of this stretch. Besides, 140km of the line passes through paddy fields, which are not stable for high-speed travel,” he mentioned, including that prime partitions must be constructed on both facet of the tracks to forestall trespassing, blocking free passage and drainage.”This will be equivalent to the China wall and will divide Kerala from north to south. This is an idiotic decision. SilverLine should be away from the existing line, either elevated or underground. Nowhere in the world high-speed or semi high-speed lines are planned at the ground level,” he mentioned, in an in depth write-up shared with TNIE.

    The feedback by Sreedharan, who’s credited with the profitable development of Konkan Railway, the Delhi Metro and Kochi Metro Rail, adopted Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan’s public accusation that the Opposition UDF and BJP are blocking developmental works within the state with explicit reference to the SilverLine challenge. CPM politburo member Kodiyeri Balakrishnan had additionally echoed the identical.

    The Okay-Rail challenge envisages a 529.45-kilometre-long semi high-speed railway line passing by means of 11 districts. As per the plan, when the challenge is realised, one can journey from Kasaragod to Thiruvananthapuram in lower than 4 hours on trains travelling at 200 km/hr. The present journey time on the present Indian Railways community is 12 hours.

    Sreedharan, who contested as a BJP candidate from Palakkad meeting constituency, justified the social gathering’s opposition to the Okay-Rail challenge, stating that the federal government can’t be allowed to take individuals for a experience with false guarantees, mistaken value estimates, unrealistic completion dates and flawed technical parameters. “Kerala is in a financial crisis. How will it fund the Rs 1.1 lakh-crore project? It is not viable,” he requested.”Yes, the BJP is against the SilverLine project for the reason that the project as conceived now is totally against the state’s interests for several reasons,” Sreedharan mentioned.

    On the technical parameters, he mentioned SilverLine has not been permitted by the Railways, notably the gauge. The Railways desires this line to perform as a 3rd and fourth line, to enrich the current line capability. This just isn’t attainable with an ordinary gauge.

    To enhance income, RO-RO companies on the SilverLine are deliberate for the evenings. “It’s not practical, as night hours are needed for maintenance. Moreover, no final location survey has been conducted on the ground. Finalising railway alignment based on Google Maps or Lidar survey is not acceptable, particularly when land acquisition is being pursued with undue haste. When the actual final location survey is done, there will be a lot of changes, and half the land acquisition will be wasted,” he defined.

    “No traffic survey, no geotechnical survey, no environmental study and no social impact study have been conducted. The DPR prepared is mostly based on assumptions and hypotheses. Naturally, the cost estimates, traffic projections and economics of the line are not reliable. The contents of the DPR are kept secret,” mentioned Sreedharan.

    He additionally identified that the associated fee estimate has been suppressed on the idea that the road is at grade (floor stage). The public is not going to agree for a high-speed line to be situated at grade. This is the largest objection to the challenge, not solely from the general public but additionally from railway consultants, environmentalists and ecological concerns.”A semi high-speed line located at grade will displace a large number of families. A rough estimate is more than 20,000 families will have to be relocated. The land-hungry people of Kerala will not accept this,” he mentioned.According to his estimate, SilverLine will value `75,000 crore at current and greater than `1.1 lakh crore on completion. “My estimate is based on the last accepted rates of Delhi Rapid Rail Transit System (RRTS), which has a maximum speed of 180 kmph,” he mentioned.

    On Kerala Rail Development Corporation’s declare to finish the challenge by 2025, he mentioned this itself exhibits how ignorant the challenge company is. Even the very best executing company within the nation, like Delhi Metro Rail Corporation, will take eight to 10 years to finish such a challenge. KRDCL has not been capable of begin even one rail overbridge of the 27 entrusted with them within the final 5 years.

    In response to the CM’s accusation that the BJP is obstructing developmental works in Kerala, Sreedharan requested who had stopped DMRC from beginning essentially the most important railway line, from Nilambur to Nanjangud, which might have diminished the rail distance from Shoranur to Mysuru by 471km and Bengaluru by 197km. The Karnataka authorities had permitted DMRC to take up this work. The extension of the Thrissur-Guruvayur line to Thirunavaya would have solved the heavy congestion at Shoranur Jn.

    “Why is the doubling work in Kerala so slow? Because the state government is not able to hand over the land. Who stopped the light metro projects in Thiruvananthapuram and Kozhikode started by the UDF government? If the project was allowed to continue, metro trains would be now running in Thiruvananthapuram and Kozhikode. The high-speed railway, started by the V S Achuthanandan government in 2010, was stopped in 2016 by whom? Strangely, even among the LDF, many are against the SilverLine project, but they are not allowed to express their opinion. The state government’s attempts to bypass the Railway Board by offering to bear the entire cost of the project will be a total mistake. Who authorised this government to make this impossible commitment? Not our MLAs,” he mentioned. 

  • Rajagopal, Sobha out; Kummanam, Muraleedharan in BJP nationwide government committee

    By Express News Service

    THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The BJP nationwide government committee reconstituted on Thursday has two members, two particular invitees and three everlasting invitees from Kerala. While V Muraleedharan and Kummanam Rajasekharan have been included within the nationwide government as members, P Ok Krishnadas and ‘Metroman’ E Sreedharan have been made particular ‘invitees’. O Rajagopal, Sobha Surendran and Alphons Kannanthanam have been dropped from the occasion’s nationwide decision-making physique.

    National vice-president AP Abdullakutty and nationwide spokesperson Tom Vadakkan have been included as ‘permanent invitees’ of their capability as central office-bearers. State president Ok Surendran can be a ‘permanent invitee’ to the nationwide government together with different state unit chiefs.

    The “downgrading” of Krishnadas from a member to a ‘special invitee’ and the exclusion of Sobha from the nationwide physique haven’t gone down effectively with their respective supporters. However, each leaders have determined to lie low in the intervening time because the Muraleedharan-Surendran camp holds sway within the state unit and likewise enjoys the backing of the nationwide management.

    Kannanthanam welcomes nat’l physique reconstitution

    T’Puram: Sobha’s continuance because the vice-president of the state unit even after the current occasion reorganisation had given sufficient indications that she will not be retained as a nationwide government member. There are indications that the state management vehemently opposed her inclusion within the nationwide physique and as an alternative backed Kummanam who had maintained a cordial relationship with the official faction even after his drubbing in Nemom.

    Meanwhile, former Union Minister Alphons Kannanthanam welcomed the reconstitution of the nationwide physique. “I was a member of the national executive for 10 years. I think that is a long time and I believe younger people should come to the national executive,” he informed TNIE. The nationwide government committee has 80 members together with Prime Minister Narendra Modi, and 50 particular invitees.There are 179 everlasting invitees to the nationwide physique.

  • Kerala Results: Pinarayi, KK Shailaja, Sreedharan and Suresh Gopi safe early leads  

    THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: It’s benefit LDF in response to early developments as CM Pinarayi Vijayan eyes a historic second consecutive time period in energy with counting underway in 40771 polling cubicles throughout the state.

    The NDA too had begin with their three outstanding candidates — Metroman E Sreedharan in Palakkad, Kummanam Rajasekharan in Nemom and actor-MP Suresh Gopi in Thrissur — within the lead.

    Prominent among the many LDF candidates who’re main are Pinrayi Vijayan (Dharmadom), Ok Ok Shailaja (Mattannur), M M Mani (Udumbanchola) and Kadakampally Surendran (Kazhakkoottam).

    The outstanding UDF candidates who had been main had been Opposition chief Ramesh Chennithala (Harippad), former Chief Minister Oommen Chandy (Puthuppally) and P Ok Kunhalikkutty (Vengara).

    Kerala Results Live | LDF forward in early counting, can UDF guarantee a sting within the story?

    As many as 24,709 officers, together with reserve personnel, are taking part within the counting course of. While 2.03 crore EVM votes from 40,771 polling cubicles are being counted, the variety of postal ballots taken up for counting is round 5 lakh. Strict compliance with Covid protocol is being ensured all through the counting course of. 

    Due to a lot of postal ballots and a rise within the variety of polling cubicles by round 90%, the declaration of outcomes is prone to be delayed. Recounting of postal ballots can be performed in seats the place the margin secured by the profitable candidate is lower than the postal ballots polled.          

    Most of the exit polls have predicted the LDF returning to energy and Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan had directed officers to make preparations for swearing-in of the brand new authorities on the very subsequent day (May 3) owing to the worsening Covid state of affairs.  

  • BJP’s scare-mongering over ‘Love Jihad’ won’t ever go far in pluralist Kerala: Tharoor

    By PTI
    NEW DELHI: The BJP can solely supply communalism, drained scare-mongering over ”love Jihad” and a hate-filled politics of division that may by no means go far in pluralist Kerala, senior Congress chief Shashi Tharoor mentioned on Sunday and asserted that the BJP’s high-profile recruit 88-year-old E Sreedharan can’t be the reply to the state’s political future. 

    He additionally dismissed strategies that not having a chief ministerial face may dent the Congress-led United Democratic Front’s (UDF) probabilities within the Kerala Assembly polls and mentioned the social gathering is ”richly endowed” with skilled and succesful leaders, any of whom may assume the mantle of chief ministership.

    In an interview with PTI, Tharoor mentioned the development in Kerala is clearly in favour of the UDF and he expects a ”robust victory” when the outcomes are introduced on May 2.

    On whether or not the BJP could be an element within the polls and the impression of ‘Metroman’ E Sreedharan being projected as the important thing particular person by the saffron social gathering, the previous Union minister mentioned the BJP ”can solely supply communalism, drained scare-mongering over ‘love Jihad’ and a hate-filled politics of bigotry and division that may by no means go far in a pluralist, inclusive Kerala”. ”They (the BJP) have hit their ceiling within the state. Mr Sreedharan’s impression peaked with the announcement of his candidacy. An 88-year-old technocrat can’t be the reply to the state’s political future,” Tharoor mentioned.

    On the BJP accusing the Congress of double requirements in aligning with the Left in West Bengal and combating towards it in Kerala, the MP from Thiruvananthapuram mentioned in an unlimited nation like India, every state has its distinctive political traits. The competitors between the Left Democratic Front (LDF) and the UDF is deeply entrenched right here, however on nationwide points, particularly these associated to secularism and opposition to the ”anti-people insurance policies” of the BJP, they share many widespread views and sometimes make widespread trigger, he mentioned. ”Since 2014, CPM MPs who campaigned towards me in Kerala have supported my stance on many points within the Lok Sabha. As for Bengal, you’ll have to ask the native social gathering leaders there,” Tharoor mentioned. But the BJP’s allegation is no surprise as a result of they’ve by no means understood or appreciated the range of India, he added.

    Asked about Home Minister Amit Shah questioning Congress’ secular credentials over its alliance with the Indian Union Muslim League (IUML) in Kerala, the Indian Secular Front in West Bengal and the All India United Democratic Front in Assam, Tharoor reiterated that every state and every state social gathering has its personal historical past, traditions and political enchantment. There is little in widespread among the many three events talked about apart from that they’re seen as basically Muslim events, he identified. ”For the BJP, which has constructed its total narrative and constructed its rise on communalism, to accuse Congress of that sin is preposterous. It is just like the proverbial pot calling the kettle black, besides that on this case, the kettle is white,” Tharoor mentioned.

    ”Speaking of Kerala, we perceive the distinction between, on the one hand, group organisations just like the NSS (Nair Service Society) or SNDP (Sree Narayana Dharma Paripalana Yogam) and community-rooted events just like the IUML, and on the opposite, communal events just like the BJP or the SDPI (Social Democratic Party of India) that don’t have any imaginative and prescient past the slim spiritual group they search to serve,” he alleged.

    Asked whether or not not having a chief ministerial face may dent the Congress-led UDF’s probabilities within the polls, Tharoor answered within the detrimental and identified that even opinion polls haven’t advised that this is a significant factor. ”The reality is that when the Congress doesn’t have an incumbent CM, it tends to not undertaking one. I can’t consider an exception in current reminiscence,” he mentioned. But the social gathering is ”richly endowed” with skilled and succesful leaders, any of whom may assume the mantle, Tharoor asserted.

    Talking in regards to the defining problems with the Kerala polls, he mentioned there are each detrimental in addition to optimistic points. ”The negatives relate to the failures, corruption and violence of the ruling Left in Kerala; the positives depend on the robust forward-looking imaginative and prescient of the Congress-led UDF, mirrored in a ‘folks’s manifesto’ that addresses all the important thing questions dealing with the state,” he mentioned. Against the confirmed corruption over which the LDF has presided, the UDF gives far-reaching welfare provisions, main instructional reform, and an investor-friendly method that may generate much-needed revenues for the state, Tharoor asserted.

    ”The LDF has been shamelessly piling on debt for future generations to pay,” he alleged.

    Kerala goes to the polls to elect members of its 140-member meeting on April 6. Counting of votes will happen on May 2 together with that of Tamil Nadu, Assam, West Bengal and Puducherry polls.

  • Sreedharan impact on, however will it translate into votes for BJP?

    Express News Service
    KOCHI: Ever since his entry into the election fray because the BJP candidate in Palakkad, ‘Metroman’ E Sreedharan has managed to garner eyeballs. His constituency visits are well-attended and photo-ops in the course of the campaigning are by no means missed.Minor controversies, just like the viral images of voters washing his toes, however, the BJP has thus far managed to money in on the 88-year-old’s picture and fan following. But whether or not his charisma will assist the social gathering win a couple of seats within the state is 1,000,000 greenback query, the reply to which will probably be recognized solely after the votes are counted on May 2. 

    While voters, from political analysts to enterprise individuals, have completely different opinion on his candidature, they’ve one level in frequent: it’s good to have individuals like Sreedharan with confirmed capability and clear observe report in politics.“Sreedharan will get more votes. But it’s doubtful whether the BJP will get huge traction from his candidature in other seats,” mentioned political analyst J Prabhash. “It’s good that a person of the stature of Sreedharan is joining politics. But it’s always better if he works with the people at the grass-root level before taking up the role of an MLA,” he added.

    Kerala Chamber of Commerce and Industry Youth Forum convenor Rajesh Nair mentioned Sreedharan’s entry is all the time welcome as politics wants individuals like him to take the nation to the subsequent degree of growth and supply corruption-free governance. “He has proved his worth and professional acumen. We need persons with his kind of immense experience to represent people,” he mentioned.

    Inner Wheel Club (Alappuzha) treasurer Sabitha Shibu mentioned politics is in dire want of consultants like Sreedharan as persons are fed up with corruption and scams. “What we have been seeing about politics is corruption and scams. People are through with corrupt politicians who make money at the cost of the general public. If people like Sreedharan can really bring about a change, it will be a great beginning,” she mentioned.

  • ‘Metro Man’ Sreedharan launches marketing campaign, says BJP preventing polls on growth plank

    By PTI
    PALAKKAD: Launching his marketing campaign, BJP candidate in Palakkad ‘Metro Man’ E Sreedharan on Monday stated the social gathering is preventing the elections on the plank of growth and reasserted his declare that the NDA will kind the federal government in Kerala after the April 6 Assembly polls.

    He attacked the state’s ruling LDF, alleging that it was a authorities hit by corruption, scandals and nepotism.

    “The (CPI(M)-led) government was not keen on the development of the state. Its main focus was upliftment of the party,” stated the 88-year previous technocrat, a day after his title was formally declared because the BJP’s candidate for Palakkad Assembly constituency.

    Taking a dig at Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, Sreedharan stated, “he is a good chief minister for his party but not for the state.”

    Sreedharan alleged that the LDF authorities did nothing for the event of the state throughout its five-year rule.

    He stated the CPI(M)-led authorities didn’t take any steps for the implementation of NilamburNanjangud line to create a broad gauge rail connection from the city of Nanjangud in Karnataka to Nilambur in Kerala.

    Nothing has been achieved to implement a railway line between Guruvayur and Thirunavaya regardless of getting sanction, he added.

    The authorities stopped the preliminary works of sunshine metro initiatives for making certain improved transports methods within the cities of Kozhikode and Thiruvananthapuram.

    He expressed hope that the BJP-led NDA will win the Assembly polls and a authorities will probably be shaped below his management.

    Sreedharan stated if elected, he would attempt to regain the misplaced glory of Palakkad district in rice manufacturing.

    “Once upon a time Palakkad was the largest producer of paddy, popularly called ‘Nellara (the rice bowl of the state). Those days have gone by a long time back. That lost glory will be regained,” Sreedharan informed a information channel.

    He lamented that Palakkad lacks primary services wanted for a city.

    “There are no good higher education facilities in Palakkad barring Victoria College. Improved higher education facilities are required in Palakkad,” stated Sreedharan who made a shock entry into politics by way of the BJP final month.

    Sitting MLA Shafi Parambil of the Congress and CPI(M)’s C P Pramod are his important rivals within the election.

  • Kerala Assembly elections: Sreedharan, Alphons in BJP listing, Surendran in fray from 2 seats

    The BJP on Sunday launched the listing of candidates for the April 6 Kerala Assembly elections, together with its state president Okay Surendran, Metro Man E Sreedharan, former Mizoram Governor Kummanam Rajasekharan, and former Union Minister Alphons Kannanthanam.
    BJP nationwide govt committee member P Okay Krishnadas, former DGP Jacob Thomas, movie artiste Krishnakumar, and the previous V-C of Calicut University. Abdul Salam, have additionally been given tickets. The occasion has dropped its veteran and lone legislator O Rajagopal, who opened the account for the occasion in Kerala by successful the Nemom constituency within the 2016 elections. The BJP has changed Rajagopal with Kummanam Rajasekharan, and the Congress has fielded senior chief Okay Muraleedharan on the seat.
    BJP former state president C Okay Padmanabhan will contest in opposition to Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan on the Dharmadam seat. Actor-turned-politician Suresh Gopi, who’s a Rajya Sabha member, will contest from Thrissur. Senior chief Sobha Surendran has not been given a ticket.

    BJP state president Okay Surendran is contesting from two constituencies: Manjeswar in Kasaragod and Konni in Pathanamthitta. Surendran had misplaced Manjeswar within the final elections by 86 votes. He had unsuccessfully contested a bypoll in Konni final yr.
    Of 140 seats within the Kerala Assembly, BJP is contesting 115, whereas NDA ally BDJS is contesting 25.
    On giving tickets to well-known public figures, a celebration common secretary mentioned: “Acceptable public faces can brighten the party’s prospects, enhance its image and make it more acceptable to voters.”
    BJP sources within the nationwide capital mentioned the occasion is fielding acquainted faces to “make the best of its chances” in a state the place energy has alternated between the CPM-led LDF and Congress-led UDF.
    Rajya Sabha MPs Gopi and Kannanthanam had contested the 2019 Lok Sabha elections, however had been defeated. Gopi was defeated by T N Prathapan in Thrissur and Kannanthanam misplaced to Hibi Eden, each of the UDF. While Gopi is making an attempt his luck once more in Thrissur, Kannanthanam is contesting from his hometown Kanjirappally.
    The transfer to discipline state chief Surendran at two seats the place the occasion has appreciable affect in some pockets, has angered some leaders. “Not even Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan or former Chief Minister Oommen Chandy is contesting in two constituencies. This will just spoil the prospects of the party in both constituencies,” mentioned a celebration chief from the state.
    “This has not gone down well within the party, leadership or even the cadre. This can be interpreted as a non-serious approach from the national leadership,” mentioned a nationwide workplace bearer.

    Although he had expressed his willingness to contest, Union Minister V Muraleedharan’s title was not within the listing of BJP candidates introduced on Sunday.
    The BJP had not gained any Lok Sabha seat, however the NDA had secured 15.20 per cent of the vote in 2019, rising its share from 10.85 per cent in 2014. In the 2016 Assembly elections, the BJP had a vote share of 14.96 per cent.

  • Metroman to contest from Palakkad, Suresh Gopi from Thrissur: BJP releases candidate listing for Kerala polls

    By Express News Service
    THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: BJP has introduced candidates within the 115 seats the social gathering is contesting within the state. BJP state president Okay Surendran can be contesting in two constituencies – Manjeshwar and Konni.

    Former Mizoram Governor and former state president Kummanam Rajasekharan would be the candidate within the social gathering’s lone seat Nemom.

    Other high-profile candidates are as follows:

    Metorman E Sreedharan – PalakkadFormer BJP State president PK Krishnadas – KattakadaFormer BJP state president CK Padmanabhan – DharmadamActor-MP Suresh Gopi – ThrissurFormer Union Minister & MP Alphons Kannanthanam – KanjirapallyFormer Calicut University Vice-Chancellor M Abdul Salam – TirurActor Krishnakumar – ThiruvananthapuramRetd IPS Officer Jacob Thomas – Irinjalakuda

  • ‘Only stated people’s want’: BJP’s flip-flop on Sreedharan as social gathering’s CM face in Kerala

    The BJP in Kerala on Friday did a flip-flop on the social gathering’s chief minister candidate for the meeting elections.
    Hours after the social gathering acknowledged that E Sreedharan, popularly often called ‘Metro Man’, could be social gathering’s chief minister candidate, BJP state chief Ok Surendran sought to take again the announcement. “What I stated was the wish of the party as well as the people. But I cannot make a decision. There is no confusion on the issue,” he stated.
    However, Surendran added: “There would be a BJP government in Kerala which would be led by Sreedharan from the front.”
    On Thursday, whereas addressing social gathering’s Vijay Yatra in Thiruvalla, Surendran had acknowledged that Sreedharan could be the chief minister candidate of the social gathering within the state meeting elections. He wished folks of Kerala to provide a possibility for a authorities led by Sreedharan to implement the developmental initiatives of the Modi authorities.

    Soon after Surendran made the declaration concerning the social gathering’s chief minister candidate, the problem was endorsed by Union Minister of State for External Affairs V Muraleedharan, who has appreciable stake within the social gathering’s Kerala affairs. Muraleedharan tweeted, “@BJPKeralam will fight #Keralapolls with E Sreedharan as its chief minister candidate…the new Kerala under E Sreedharan will pave way for an efficient and effective government in the state.” Later on Thursday night time, the union minister, who hails from Kerala, withdrew his tweet.
    Party sources stated the central management was irked over the announcement made by Surendran even because the social gathering has not addressed the identical problem in different poll-bound states.

    On Friday, Surendran stated, “The party central leadership would decide (on chief minister candidate) after deliberations. What I stated was that party workers and people wish to have the leadership of Sreedharan. No doubt, Kerala would have a BJP government and persons like Sreedharan would lead it from the front,” he stated.