Yogi Adityanath govt faces power cut heat from BJP MLAs as Uttar Pradesh boils at 46°C

From Lucknow, Meerut, Gonda and several rural districts, residents have been up in arms against erratic electricity supply as temperatures hovered between 40°C and 45°C.

Videos circulating on social media showed angry residents gathering outside MLAs’ homes late at night over hours-long outages. In Meerut, residents reportedly surrounded the house of Mayor Harikant Ahluwalia after electricity supply remained disrupted for several hours.

जनता त्रस्त, केस्को मस्त; सोई सरकार, कानपुर बेहाल!

राष्ट्रीय महासचिव एवं उत्तर प्रदेश प्रभारी श्री अविनाश पांडे (@avinashpandeinc) जी व प्रदेश अध्यक्ष श्री अजय राय (@kashikirai) जी के निर्देशानुसार कानपुर में इस भीषण गर्मी में केस्को द्वारा हो रही अंधाधुंध बिजली कटौती और… pic.twitter.com/3UaLBzYX5J

— UP Congress (@INCUttarPradesh) May 22, 2026

The power crisis comes at a politically sensitive time for the ruling BJP, especially after recent protests over the installation of prepaid smart meters, which were later converted to postpaid meters following public backlash.

The issue has also turned into a political flashpoint, with opposition leaders, Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav and Bahujan Samaj Party supremo Mayawati, targeting the BJP government over electricity shortages.

Akhilesh accused the government of failing to expand power generation capacity, alleging that under BJP rule, “only demand and prices are rising, not electricity supply.”

Mayawati said frequent outages and inadequate supply had made life “extremely distressing” for the poor, middle class, farmers, small traders and workers across the state. “People are expressing their anger in various ways and the issue is continuously being discussed in the media,” Mayawati said, urging the government to take immediate corrective measures while improving long-term electricity infrastructure through new power plants.

Lawyers protest against prolonged power outages at a power station, in Meerut, Thursday. (PTI)

Power Minister A K Sharma said the state power corporation was making “every possible effort” to maintain supply and meet record-breaking demand.

The discontent, however, is not limited to the opposition.

BJP MLA from Gonda Sadar, Prateek Bhushan Singh, wrote a strongly worded letter to Power Minister Sharma, describing a “serious electricity crisis” in Gonda district and his constituency.

In his May 22 letter, Singh said repeated power disruptions during intense heat had pushed residents into severe distress, affecting both homes and workplaces. Referring to the “extremely sensitive and urgent” nature of the issue, he said public anger was growing as electricity supply continued to fail during peak summer conditions.

While acknowledging that storms, strong winds and technical faults such as snapped wires and tripping could be contributing factors, Singh said merely treating them as “challenges” was not enough. Citizens, he wrote, had elected governments to solve such crises, not leave them struggling in darkness.

The BJP MLA demanded a permanent and immediate solution to recurring breakdowns, especially during night hours, and called for stronger emergency response mechanisms to reduce repair time. He also sought a meeting with the minister to explain the ground situation in detail.

Another BJP MLA, Dr Neeraj Bora from Lucknow North, also wrote to Sharma on May 19, complaining about unannounced power cuts in Faizullaganj for three consecutive days. In his letter, Bora said residents were “disturbed and angry” due to erratic supply and sought immediate intervention.

‘Serious situation despite high supply’

Speaking to The Indian Express, Uttar Pradesh State Electricity Consumers Council chairman and Central Advisory Committee member Avadhesh Kumar Verma said the state was facing a “serious situation” despite high power availability.

“Even though the norm for rural areas is 18 hours of supply, many districts are getting only 5-8 hours of electricity,” he said. “The main reasons are continuous breakdowns and delays in repairs.”

He said a proposal had been submitted to the UP Electricity Regulatory Commission regarding the crisis, alleging that increasing incidents of breakdowns due to rising temperature and lack of contractual staff has led to the crises.

According to Verma, electricity demand in the state has touched nearly 30,000 MW, but the problem lies in effective distribution and maintenance rather than generation alone. “There is a severe shortage of manpower in power companies and the maintenance system has weakened. Earlier, a large number of contractual workers were removed. Now, at many substations, only one gang is working in a shift, affecting the ability to attend faults,” he said.

He added that several substations handle more than five feeders, and if breakdowns occur simultaneously on two feeders, limited staff are unable to respond promptly, leading to prolonged outages and public anger.

Minister speak

According to Sharma, UP witnessed an unprecedented surge in electricity consumption due to the heat — the state recorded a peak demand of 30,276 MW on Thursday morning and 30,357 MW at 2.30 pm on Friday, significantly higher than last year’s maximum daytime supply of 28,300 MW.

“This daytime demand is unprecedented and may rise further by evening. During peak hours, demand is reaching nearly 32,000 to 33,000 MW,” Sharma said.

Acknowledging the shortage of electricity in energy exchanges, the minister said the UP Power Corporation was arranging power from “all available sources” to maintain supply across the state. “To ensure consumers do not face inconvenience in this intense heat, we are continuously trying to provide as much electricity as possible. Your patience and cooperation are requested,” he added.