India’s ‘metroman’ E Sreedharan, who joined the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) recently, has formulated innovative vote-seeking strategies for the Assembly election scheduled for April 6.
“I won’t follow the traditional vote-seeking strategies. I will not campaign house-to-house or shop-to-shop. I will inform people that I will implement certain things if they elect me. If you don’t believe in my plans, don’t elect me,” he explained his strategy in an exclusive interview with onmanorama.
“I will attend one or two meetings a day. There will not be any drumbeating or loud music shows. My campaign will not trouble the public. I will not allow party men to disturb the people,” he said.
He also said that he will not accept money from individuals towards election funds. “I am going to show that new campaign methods are possible,” he said.
Sreedharan says he is confident of an easy win from any constituency in Kerala. “People in Kerala love and respect me mainly because of my achievements and the way I deal with things. They know my integrity, selfless service and love for the country. They will willingly elect me. So I am confident of winning from any constituency,” he said.
Edited excerpts from an interview:
Why did you join politics?
I started working with the government in April 1953 immediately after passing out of college. The 67-year-old career gave me the opportunity to do many good things for the country. My last assignment was the rebuilding of the Palarivattom bridge in Kochi. I am still hale, healthy and mentally alert. So I thought my long experience and knowledge should be made available for Kerala for some more time. That is the reason behind my entry into politics.
How did your BJP entry happen? Who contacted you? Was it Prime Minister Narendra Modi or Home Minister Amit Shah?
No one from Delhi contacted me. The invite came from the party’s Kerala president [K] Surendran and I readily agreed.
Did he give any promise?
He did not give me any promise. I told him that I am past 88 and I won’t be able to exert very much. But I can give ideas and all the help the organisation required.
Where will you seek a mandate this time?
The party may field me from the Palakkad Assembly constituency. Thrissur and Tripunithura are the other possible constituencies. An announcement is expected soon. I do not want to contest from
constituencies that are far away from my home in Ponnani. That is why the party is considering me in those three seats, where I have a standing. I am well known in Tripunithura. I studied in Palakkad.
Thrissur is very near to my home.
Are you expecting a tough fight? Who do you think is the biggest opponent?
To be frank, I don’t expect a tough fight at all. Because people in Kerala love and respect me mainly because of my achievements and the way I deal with things. They know my integrity, selfless service and love for the country. They will willingly elect me. So I am confident of winning from any constituency.
You are a prominent technocrat. Politics is a different ball game. You need to be a tactician to excel in politics. How do you consider politics as a full-time profession?
I don’t consider it a big challenge. You don’t need to be a tactician, but you have to be diplomatic to excel in politics. You must win people’s confidence, respect and love. If you work sincerely and passionately, people will start loving you. I learnt these lessons in my professional life.
You recently stated that you are ready to become the chief minister if BJP comes to power. But BJP does not stand a chance to win the election going by the statistics. Why did you make such a statement?
I didn’t make that sort of a statement. What I said was that BJP will certainly come to power. The other two fronts, LDF and UDF. are ruling the state every alternate five years, and they did not bring any benefit to the state. They have not brought any development to the state. I did not join BJP to become the chief minister but to get an opportunity to save the state.
How could you say that the government did not bring any development because it sought your leadership for Kochi Metro and Palarivattom bridge?
Kochi Metro and Palarivattom bridge rebuilding were completed because I was there. The LDF government did not complete even a single development project on its own. They completed projects initiated by the previous government. The LDF government drove Delhi Metro Railway Corporation (DMRC) away from many projects, such as metro projects in Thiruvananthapuram and Kozhikode, high-speed rail project, Nilambur-Nanjangud project and suburban railway project.
What are your plans for election campaigning?
I won’t follow the traditional vote-seeking strategies. I will not campaign house-to-house or shop-to-shop. I will prepare a document to inform people that I will implement certain things if they elect me. If
you don’t believe in my plans, don’t elect me. I will attend one or two meetings a day. There will not be any drumbeating or loud music shows. My campaign will not trouble the public. I will not allow party men to disturb people.
I have decided I will not accept money from individuals. I will accept money from the party. I will also spend money. You don’t need money to meet people and educate them. I am going to show that new campaign methods are possible.
If LDF or UDF comes to power, who do you want to become chief minister?
I have got a great respect for Oommen Chandy. He will be a better chief minister, but I believe that BJP will form the government.
(This interview was first published in onmanorama)