Delhi: There is a probability of 'Metro man' E Sreedharan being nominated as the ruling BJP-led NDA's candidate for President, as per a media report.
India Today quoted sources as saying that the PMO had deliberately omitted Sreedharan's name from the dignitaries who would share the dais with Prime Minister Narendra Modi at the inauguration of the Kochi Metro train on June 17 for this reason.
"In fact, there is a strong probability of Sreedharan being nominated as the ruling BJP-led NDA's candidate for the president's post in the July 17 election. It would be improper if he is seen sitting with PM Modi and Union Urban Development Minister M Venkaiah Naidu on the dais just days before the name of the NDA candidate is announced. Moreover, PM Modi maintains distance with the person he has to push up," the media house quoted sources as saying.
Sreedharan has reportedly been kept in the loop by the PMO.
As per reports, Kerala government submitted to the PMO a list of 17 people who it wanted to share the dais with PM Modi.
Names included that of Sreedharan, Opposition leader Ramesh Chennithala, former CM Oommen Chandy, local legislator PT Thomas Chennithala and chief secretary Nailin Netto.
The PMO supposedly approved the names of just six people - Kerala Governor P Sathasivam, Venkaiah Naidu, Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, Kerala's Transport Minister Thomas Chandy, local MP KV Thomas and Kochi Mayor Soumini Jain.
Kochi Metro Rail Corp Managing Director Elias George maintained that they did not have any role in this.
Earlier at Kochi, Sreedharan had sought to downplay the controversy and had said that there was nothing unusual in the decision of not being invited on the stage as such restrictions were usual in a programme being attended by the PM.
He also inspected the arrangements for the inauguration.
"Please don't make a controversy over the issue. Prime Minister's security is important," Sreedharan had said, adding that the programme should be conducted as per the preparations made by the prime minister's security agencies.
However, the PMO on Thursday said that Sreedharan had been included in the list of dignitaries who will share the stage with PM Modi during the Kochi Metro inauguration on June 17.
Information in this regard was received at Vijayan's office today, an official release said.
The PMO has also agreed to include the name of Chennithala among the dignitaries to be present on the stage, it said.
The PMO's intervention comes in the wake of the chief secretary writing to it in this regard yesterday.
However, as per information received by CMO's office, the name of PT Thomas, local Congress MLA, has not be included as requested by the state government.
(With Agency inputs)
