'I Was Never A Politician, Learnt Valuable Lesson': Metroman Sreedharan Quits Politics

Sreedharan had contested in the Kerala Assembly Polls held in April last as Bharatiya Janata Party's CM candidate but was defeated by Congress leader Shafi Parambil.

Metroman E Sreedharan. (File Photo/ Getty)

Thiruvananthapuram: Metroman E Shreedharan on Thursday announced that he no longer wishes to be a part of active politics. Asserting that he learnt a valuable lesson from the election debacle, the 90-year-old technocrat said that he does not need to be in politics to serve people.

Sreedharan had contested in the Kerala Assembly Polls held in April last as Bharatiya Janata Party's CM candidate but was defeated by Congress leader Shafi Parambil.

Apparently announcing his decision to quit active politics, Sreedharan said he was initially unhappy over his loss in elections, but then realised that even if he had won, a single MLA cannot do much for the people.

"I was never a politician and do not wish to. I am 90 now and hence do not want to be in politics. I need not be a politician to serve people which I am doing through three trusts," he said.

Sreedharan also pointed out that BJP in Kerala needs to change its policy to fare well in the elections.

"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 in that to be done," added Sreedharan.

Meanwhile, Shreedharan's opposition to Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan's dream K-Rail project continues unabated as he lashed out at it again on Thursday.

"In one sentence, I will say this K-Rail project is ill-conceived, badly planned and very badly handled," said Sreedharan to the media at his hometown in Malappuram.

Sreedharan joined the BJP in February last year ahead of the Assembly polls in Kerala. He was touted by a section of the Kerala BJP unit as the Chief Ministerial candidate of the party and fought from the Palakkad Assembly constituency.

He lost to young Congress legislator Shafi Parambil by a margin of 3,859 votes in the April 6 Assembly polls.