The political blame game is intensifying between the Kerala government and the opposition for the power crisis

DYFI activists staged a torch-lit protest against power cuts outside the KSEB office at Gandhinagar in Kochi on Friday (September 11, 2026). | Photo credit: THULASI KAKKAT

The political blame game for the reasons for the current power crisis in Kerala intensified on Saturday (September 12, 2026) as the Congress-led United Democratic Front (UDF) government and the opposition crossed swords over who is responsible for the disruptive power cuts plaguing the state.

The night-time lights-out, which has become an inconvenient marker of daily life in the state after a decade-long hiatus, appears to have damaged the public image of the UDF government, if the spiraling spiral of trolls and outrage on social and conventional media is any indication.

The Left Democratic Front (LDF) used the power crisis to portray the LDF’s previous dispensation in a better light ahead of the upcoming by-elections in the 36 local body wards in the state. First, on Saturday evening, the Communist Party of India (Marxist) (CPI(M)) held branch-level protest meetings across Kerala to protest against the UDF’s “mismanagement” of the power sector.

The CPI(M) also accused Electricity Minister Sunny Joseph of displaying “magisterial arrogance and apathy” by allegedly saying that there was “no switch” to solve the power crisis and that people had no option but to endure constant night-time blackouts.

Satheesan’s argument

Notably, Chief Minister VD Satheesan repeatedly tried to bring the previous LDF government to crisis. He argued that the LDF government’s “reckless cancellation” of the “tax-beneficial” long-term power purchase agreement signed by the Oommen Chandy-led UDF government in 2011 with private power suppliers to prevent future shortages has precipitated the situation.

Mr. Satheesan also cited unprecedented heat, increasing demand for electric vehicles and air conditioners, depleted hydel storage levels due to weak monsoon and the national deficit in electricity generation as the causes of the current crisis.

Leader of Opposition Pinarayi Vijayan accused the UDF government of covering up facts to save face. He said the Kerala State Electricity Regulatory Commission (KSERC) canceled the deal in 2023 citing lack of regulatory approval.

Mr. Vijayan noted that the LDF had raised objections in 2011 to several controversial clauses in the agreement that “favored profit-driven private electricity suppliers” over the Kerala State Electricity Board (KSEB), a public utility.

Mr. Vijayan said the LDF government nevertheless decided to continue with the 2011 agreement in the larger public interest. The cabinet also replaced the commission’s decision to cancel the agreement through a government order.

“But private suppliers backed down. However, LDF’s proactive planning prevented disruptive power outages despite the climate and national-level energy deficit cited by the UDF government,” he said.

Status report

Meanwhile, the UDF cabinet is scheduled to review the energy situation on Wednesday. Mr Satheesan last week demanded a detailed status report from the KSEB and explored financial measures to mitigate the crisis. So far, the UDF has indicated that it is not inclined to increase the electricity tariff for domestic consumers, perhaps fearing a political backlash.

Published – 12 Sep 2026 19:15 IST