YS Sharmila, the president of the state Congress, has sharply criticized Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu’s recent declaration that the “Super Six” scheme is a “super hit.” Taking to Twitter on Saturday, Sharmila voiced her disapproval of the Chief Minister’s optimistic statement. The government had rolled out the “Stree Shakti” program on August 15, during Independence Day celebrations, offering women free travel on select buses across the state. During a public event at the Vijayawada bus stand, CM Naidu proudly claimed that his government had successfully implemented its election promises, labeling the Super Six scheme as a success. However, opposition parties, including the Congress and YSR Congress Party (YSRCP), have questioned the authenticity of this claim, pointing to several unfulfilled promises under the scheme.
Sharmila didn’t hold back in her response, posing tough questions about the government’s track record. She directly challenged CM Naidu, asking, “How can Super Six be a super hit, CM Chandrababu?” and termed the initiative a “super flop.” She pointed out major points such as the inability to generate the 20 lakh jobs promised, the absence of an Rs. 3,000 unemployment allowance for youth, and the failure to deliver on the commitment of giving Rs. 1,500 to women over the age of 18. Also, Sharmila attacked the government’s flip-flop on the Annadata Sukhi Bhava scheme, which had first promised Rs. 20,000 to farmers before subsequently changing the terms.
The Congress leader also raised concerns about the implementation of several welfare schemes. She criticized the handling of the central government’s Rs. 6,000 aid for farmers, questioning the transparency in distributing land titles to 30 lakh farmers. Sharmila accused the government of reducing the promised Rs. 15,000 under various schemes to Rs. 13,000 and questioned the unclear distribution of three gas cylinders under the “Deepam-2” program. Furthermore, she slammed the delayed rollout of the free bus service, which came 14 months after it was first promised, calling the claim of “Super Six” success utterly absurd.
In Sharmila’s view, the “Super Six” scheme is a grossest betrayal of the people, as welfare schemes are on the decline, development is at a standstill, and governance is below expectations. In her tweets, Sharmila identified the TDP and Jana Sena parties and accused them of cheating the public and not keeping their promises.
Notably, Sharmila also expressed that the opposition had not only kept their word while in power, yet another reason for her to intensify her attack on the ruling government. Political analysts have said that Sharmila’s scathing comments are receiving much attention, particularly because they specifically attack both the TDP and Jana Sena. Meanwhile, Chief Minister Naidu is still defending the “Super Six” scheme as successful, but political observers are pointing to the notable silence of a response from YSR Congress leader Jagan, who is yet to say anything on the issue.