Andhra Pradesh Congress Committee (APCC) President YS Sharmila took to highlight an unfulfilled election promise by Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu. In a symbolic gesture, Sharmila, accompanied by other women leaders, travelled on an Andhra Pradesh State Road Transport Corporation (APSRTC) bus on Friday, purchasing tickets, and launched a postcard campaign aimed at reminding the government of its poll promise to provide free bus travel for women.
As part of the campaign, Sharmila and her fellow Congress leaders displayed postcards addressed to CM Naidu, urging him to implement the promised free travel scheme for women, as per a report on IANS. The APCC chief announced that thousands of postcards would be sent to the Chief Minister from every Assembly constituency over the next three days, holding him accountable for his unkept promises.
In her remarks, Sharmila drew a comparison between Andhra Pradesh and its neighboring state Telangana. She noted that Telangana Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy had implemented free bus travel for women within a week of assuming office, while CM Naidu has yet to fulfill the same promise after more than four months in power.
"Every woman is asking what happened to your promise of free bus travel for women," Sharmila remarked, highlighting the disappointment among voters. She pointed out that of the 30 lakh people who travel daily on APSRTC buses, 20 lakh are women. If the free travel scheme is enacted, the government would need to allocate Rs 7 crore to Rs 10 crore per day, or approximately Rs 300 crore per month.
Sharmila further criticised Naidu for gaining the votes of women by making numerous promises, especially through his 'Super Six' campaign, of which four promises directly address women's issues. She emphasized the need for immediate action, reminding the government that its credibility is on the line.