‘People are suffering, BJP is sinking’: Akhilesh escalates attack over UP electricity crisis

Samajwadi Party president Akhilesh Yadav on Monday launched a sharp attack on the BJP government in Uttar Pradesh over the state's power situation, alleging that public anger over an “unbearable mega electricity disaster” was forcing BJP MPs and MLAs to publicly raise complaints in a bid to shield themselves from voter backlash.

In a strongly worded post on X, the former chief minister claimed that letters being written by BJP legislators regarding electricity-related issues were not genuine appeals made in public interest but political attempts to secure their own future as public dissatisfaction mounted.

“Frightened BJP MLAs and MPs are trying to protect themselves through a ‘paper shield’ in the form of symbolic letters,” Yadav wrote.

“The letters are not public interest communications to their own government but applications seeking tickets from the opposition in the coming elections after abandoning the sinking ship called the BJP,” he alleged.

The SP chief, however, ruled out accommodating such leaders in the opposition camp.

“There is no place in our alliance for leaders who have given the public nothing except pain, suffering and hardship,” he said.

‘Families alone understand the suffering’

Highlighting the impact of power shortages during the ongoing heatwave, Yadav said only families experiencing prolonged outages could understand the difficulties faced by vulnerable sections of society.

“In this deadly heat, only family members can understand the plight of elderly people, the sick, children and women struggling to arrange food and water,” he said.

The opposition leader alleged that worsening electricity supply had aggravated hardship across the state and accused the government of failing to respond effectively to public grievances.

Swipe at Energy Minister

In an apparent reference to Uttar Pradesh Energy Minister Arvind Kumar Sharma, Yadav revived an earlier political jibe and suggested that a former bureaucrat brought into politics had himself become a source of problems.

“Those who once searched for an ‘officer’ instead of an opportunity during a crisis are now finding that the same officer has himself become a disaster,” he said.

He further alleged that leaders who merely raised slogans instead of offering solutions were incapable of resolving the state's electricity-related problems.

“Problems cannot be solved by those who throw up both hands and escape by raising slogans when asked for solutions,” he said.

Questions BJP's internal functioning

Yadav also questioned coordination within what the BJP describes as its “double-engine government”, referring to the party being in power both at the Centre and in Uttar Pradesh.

“Why should the public suffer because of the clash between the BJP's double-engine governments?” he asked.

The SP chief suggested that the situation presented an opportunity for the leadership to remove what he described as a “completely failed messenger-minister”, while simultaneously creating room for a cabinet expansion.

“It is a big opportunity to remove a completely failed ‘messenger-minister’... and also an opportunity for the chief minister to expand the cabinet and accommodate some of those waiting for power,” he remarked.

‘Government knows it will not return’

Escalating his criticism, Yadav alleged that the BJP government had already accepted electoral defeat in the future and was therefore ignoring public concerns.

“The BJP government in Uttar Pradesh knows it will never return to power. That is why it is completely ignoring the difficulties and demands of the people and is busy only filling its coffers,” he claimed.

Concluding his post with a political slogan aimed at the ruling party, Yadav wrote: “People everywhere are saying today that the BJP has become a burden.”

The BJP had not immediately responded to the allegations.