THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: A novel election campaign by UDF’s Chirayinkeezhu candidate Ramya Haridas on Saturday ran into trouble after election authorities objected to it. The trial run of the UDF’s “Indira Guarantee” bus, which offered free travel to women, was stopped by the election squad on Saturday morning, citing a possible violation of the Model Code of Conduct.
The private bus, carrying posters of the Indira Guarantee scheme and UDF campaign material, was being used by the candidate to offer free rides within the constituency. The initiative was aimed at giving voters a preview of the proposed scheme announced earlier by Rahul Gandhi.
Before the election squad intervened, Haridas had said the Indira Guarantee of free bus travel had received a positive response from women across the state. “There are many women who work in textiles, as domestic helpers, etc., who depend on bus services twice a day. If they are able to save this money, it would be a great help for them,” she told the media.