Sreesanth joins BJP, set to contest from Thiruvananthapuram
New Delhi, 26 March 2016: Cricketer Sreesanth joined the BJP on Friday evening after which he was fielded as a candidate in the Kerala assembly elections from Thiruvananthapuram.
“It is a great honour to join the party and I am looking forward to playing the game. I have met Prime Minister Narendra Modi and other leaders and have their good wishes. I will work to change the face of Kerala and make the BJP much stronger in the state by working among the youth,” he said.
Sreesanth, who is serving a lifetime ban for a 2013 spot fixing case, said “I have been cleared by the court.” The party’s central election committee decided to field him from the state capital though he had “requested” for a ticket from Thrippunithura seat in Ernakulam where he would have faced Excise Minister and Congress leader K Babu, Kerala BJP leaders said. The Kerala unit of RSS had apparently wanted the BJP to announce local leader Thuravoor Viswambharan as its nominee for Thrippunithura.
The BJP, which does not have a single legislator in the outgoing Kerala Assembly, is hoping to make inroads in the polls to be held on May 16. It is expected to contest around 90 out of the total 140 seats.