The 'power' play in Uttar Pradesh poll campaigns

Electricity is among the main developmental issues that are now currently swaying voters in the state, especially in rural areas

Electricity has become a major topic of discussion in the poll time in Uttar Pradesh, with various political parties making it a part of their manifestos to woo voters, especially farmers, with promises of uninterrupted and cheap, or even free, power supply.

It is among the main developmental issues that are now currently swaying voters in the state, especially in rural areas. With Delhi incentivising electricity tariffs and doling out free electricity up to a certain limit, neighbouring cities in the National Capital Region are demanding the same from their state government.

The power tariffs are a main point of contention, with the current Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)regime as well as the preceding regime of Samajwadi Party (SP) having hiked the charges for domestic consumers.

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At present, consumers shell out Rs 110 monthly, per kilowatt, as a fixed charge, with per-unit costs at Rs 7 per kilowatt-hour, following the latest hike in 2018-19 fiscal.

Among the political parties to bring up the electricity issue are the SP, BJP — which are considered the main contenders in the UP poll battle — and the Congress, which is hoping to improve on its past performances.

The SP, in its manifesto, has promised 300 free electricity units to domestic consumers, with Akhilesh Yadav also launching a registration campaign, asking consumers to register with the party. Besides, the party has also promised free electricity to farmers for irrigation purposes.

Meanwhile, the BJP has promised a free power supply to farmers for the next five years, as it is targeting the farmer voter base after the fallout caused by the farm laws. Contrary to its manifesto in 2017, when it promised a round-the-clock power supply, the BJP has not made such a promise, although it continues to ride on claims that rural households are getting at least an 18-hour supply and urban ones, 24 hours.

Even as consumers were demanding a reduction in power charges due to the Covid-19 pandemic for over a year, the BJP in January cut tubewell tariff by half to woo the farmer voter base.

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The Congress, however, has not made any free power promises but has vowed to cut bills by half and also waive off arrears of the Covid-19 peak period.

However, experts say that promises of free power will end up costing the exchequer, with 300 free units estimated to cost over Rs 25,000 crore per annum, according to a report by The Indian Express.

“In the recent past, Uttar Pradesh domestic electricity consumers have seen the maximum hike in electricity tariffs, up to 50% during the previous Samajwadi Party regime and about 28% during the present. While UP has also seen much greater availability of power, the electricity bills have doubled,” Awadhesh Verma, president of the Uttar Pradesh State Power Consumer Forum, was quoted as saying by the publication.

He said that any government would find it hard to write off the charges, and that reduced tariffs and free power to farmers would be a more viable choice.

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