BJP not interested in toppling Madhya Pradesh govt: Shivraj Singh Chouhan
Bhopal: Hours after the Congress-led government in Madhya Pradesh plunged into a crisis on Monday late night, senior BJP leader Shivraj Singh Chouhan on Tuesday said his party was not interested in toppling the government and termed the developments as the "internal matter" of the ruling party.
However, former minister and BJP leader Narottam Mishra said it seems the Kamal Nath government is falling.
As former chief minister Chouhan arrived this morning in Bhopal for the BJP legislature meeting, which will be held in evening, he was welcomed by upbeat leaders and workers of the saffron party.
"Wishing Happy Holi to the people of Madhya Pradesh," Chouhan said.
When asked about the ongoing political developments in the state, Chouhan said it is an internal matter of the Congress party.
Earlier in a tweet, Chouhan said, "This is the Congress' internal mater and I would not like to comment on it. We had said on the first day that we are not interested in bringing down the government".
However, former minister and senior BJP leader Narottam Mishra, who was accompanying Chouhan, said the resignation of 20 ministers is an indication that something is wrong in the Congress.
"I don't think this government is going to survive. It seems the Nath government is falling," he said.
The state government was pushed to the brink on Monday as a sulking Jyotiraditya Scindia, along with 17 MLAs, virtually revolted prompting Chief Minister Kamal Nath to call a late-night cabinet meeting where around 20 ministers resigned reposing faith in his leadership.
Nath had alleged that the BJP was adopting immoral ways to "destabilise" his government and vowed not to let it happen. Meanwhile, Chouhan paid tributes to former Union minister and Congress leader late Madhavrao Scindia on his birth anniversary.
Madhavrao was father of Jyotiraditya Scindia, who is said to be at the centre at the current political drama in Madhya Pradesh. Senior Congress leader Digvijay Singh also paid tributes to Madhavrao Scindia through his tweet.
While the BJP has called its legislature party meeting at 7 pm, the Congress will hold a similar meeting at 5 pm at the residence of the chief minister.
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No unannounced load shedding in Kerala, outages due to overload, says Minister
Palakkad (PTI): Kerala Electricity Minister K Krishnankutty on Saturday said there was no unannounced load shedding in the state, attributing recent power interruptions to temporary overload caused by high consumption.
Clarifying concerns raised from various parts of the state, the minister said the disruptions are not deliberate but occur when demand peaks, particularly between 10 pm and 11 pm.
"It is not being done intentionally. Power consumption has risen sharply, and when there is excessive and indiscriminate usage, the system experiences overload, leading to natural supply interruptions," he told reporters here.
His remarks come amid complaints that several areas have been witnessing frequent power cuts, often lasting around 15 minutes and occurring multiple times during the night.
Krishnankutty said the state's power demand has crossed 6,195 MW, putting pressure on the supply system. He added that around 70 per cent of Kerala's electricity is procured from outside, and existing power banking arrangements have been exhausted.
"We have approached the Regulatory Commission seeking permission to purchase more power. However, this will come at a higher cost," he said.
The minister said the government is trying to avoid increasing electricity tariffs and urged consumers to exercise restraint in usage to help manage the situation.
Responding to opposition criticism over the ruling LDF's earlier claims of a decade without power cuts, he said the current situation is not unique to Kerala.
A power crisis is emerging across the country, he said, and sarcastically asked the Opposition to take note of the role of natural factors in this.
Krishnankutty expressed confidence that the situation would improve within two days, while cautioning that long-term energy security would depend on enhancing in-state power generation.
He also warned that future generations could face serious challenges if adequate electricity production capacity is not developed within Kerala.
