Congress leadership making hectic efforts to woo back Scindia as crisis looms in Madhya Pradesh
New Delhi: As a crisis loomed over the Congress government in Madhya Pradesh, efforts were on to woo back disgruntled leader and former MP Jyotiraditya Scindia who remains 'incommunicado', party sources said.
Seventeen MLAs, including at least six ministers, known to be Scindia loyalists, are currently in Bengaluru. Chief Minister Kamal Nath promised to reconstitute the state Cabinet after an emergency meeting late on Monday night. Following the meet, around 20 ministers resigned reposing faith in Nath's leadership.
In Delhi, sources said hectic efforts were underway by the Congress leadership to save the party's government in Madhya Pradesh, and placate Scindia who has long been at daggers drawn with Kamal Nath over leadership issues.
The party high command is sending emissaries, including Rajasthan Deputy Chief Minister Sachin Pilot to Scindia in order to win him back. But the efforts have not borne any fruit yet, they said.
Pilot tried reaching out to Scindia, but failed. The disgruntled Scindia did not respond to his message, sources said.
On Tuesday, Pilot tweeted, "I am hopeful that the current crisis in Madhya Pradesh ends soon and that leaders are able to resolve differences. The state needs a stable government in order to fulfil the promises make to the electorate."
Congress veteran and former Madhya Pradesh chief minister Digvijay Singh said Scindia could not be contacted.
"We have not been able to talk to him yet... Anyone who is a true Congressman will not leave the party," he said, adding the people of the state would give a befitting reply to anyone who attempts to undermine their mandate.
Let the Truth be known. If you read VB and like VB, please be a VB Supporter and Help us deliver the Truth to one and all.
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.
