Thiruvananthapuram, September 12 (Daily Kiran) : In Thiruvananthapuram, a decade-long absence of power cuts has come to an end, with recent extended outages reshaping the political landscape in Kerala. The opposition has seized upon this issue to challenge Chief Minister V.D. Satheesan’s Congress-led government, which is now experiencing significant political pressure over the situation.
Since taking office in May, the Congress party has managed to avoid major controversies that could tarnish its image. However, the current electricity crisis has emerged as a formidable challenge, drawing criticism towards both the government and Electricity Minister Suni Joseph.
Television channels are flooded with consumer complaints, with many residents claiming they have not experienced such frequent outages in the past ten years. This public discontent has invigorated the Left’s social media efforts, leading to a surge in memes and posts that compare the current situation to the previous Left Democratic Front (LDF) government.
Interestingly, Left supporters had been searching for a compelling issue to rally around since the new government took power. The power cuts have provided the perfect opportunity for them to connect with the public.
In response to the crisis, Satheesan’s administration and Minister Suni Joseph have attributed the problem to decisions made by the previous LDF government, particularly the cancellation of a power purchase agreement initiated during the tenure of former Chief Minister Oommen Chandy. Critics, however, argue that there were no significant outages when the Pinarayi Vijayan government left office in April, raising questions about the timing of the current crisis.
To address the situation, Joseph mentioned that the government is considering an attractive tariff system for households willing to return stored electricity to the Kerala State Electricity Board (KSEB). They are also exploring subsidies for families installing battery storage systems and community battery systems linked to solar power.
According to the minister, the rising use of electric vehicles has increased electricity demand by approximately 1,000 megawatts, while a shortage of coal has exacerbated the situation. Kerala generates only 25% of its electricity needs, and delays in launching new power projects have further complicated the challenge.
Adding a political dimension to the debate, former Electricity Minister M.M. Mani has suggested that the government may be exaggerating the crisis to justify purchasing expensive electricity from outside sources, hinting at potential conflicts of interest. Meanwhile, the Left’s main narrative on social media asserts that if Vijayan were still in power, Kerala would not be facing this predicament.
For Satheesan’s government, this issue has transcended mere electricity supply concerns, evolving into its first major political storm, which the opposition is eager to exploit.
Leave a Comment