Metro rail plan in Thiruvananthapuram triggers political row, Cong calls it election stunt

Thiruvananthapuram, Nov 8 (IANS) Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan’s announcement unveiling the alignment of the first phase of the Thiruvananthapuram Metro Rail project has triggered a political storm, with senior Congress leader K. Muraleedharan terming it an “election stunt” ahead of the local body polls.

Vijayan, in a social media post on Friday, described the project as a “landmark step in reshaping Kerala’s capital for the future.”

The proposed 31-km corridor, featuring 27 stations, is expected to connect key information technology hubs, major transport terminals, and important administrative and healthcare centres across the city.

The project will be executed by Kochi Metro Rail Limited (KMRL), which has already begun preliminary infrastructure work in the capital.

However, Muraleedharan, who is leading the Congress-led UDF’s campaign for the prestigious Thiruvananthapuram Corporation, dismissed the announcement as politically motivated.

“When I was a legislator in 2018, I moved an adjournment motion demanding a Metro Rail for the state capital. Chief Minister Vijayan had then replied in the Assembly that the project was not feasible,” he said on Saturday.

“Now, on the eve of the local body polls, the sudden announcement clearly reveals it to be an election stunt. We have always supported the idea of a Metro for Thiruvananthapuram, but the government has provided no clarity on the source of funding or the project structure,” Muraleedharan said, adding that the ongoing NH widening works along the proposed alignment have already caused major delays and chaos.

The announcement also comes at a politically sensitive time, with the CPI(M)-led LDF government seeking to retain control of the Thiruvananthapuram Corporation, where a tight three-cornered contest is expected among the LDF, UDF, and BJP.

Interestingly, the idea of a Metro Rail for the capital is not new. Over a decade ago, the then Chief Minister Oommen Chandy, after consultations with “Metroman” E. Sreedharan, had given an in-principle nod for the project.

However, it failed to materialise due to procedural and administrative hurdles.

--IANS

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