Delhi Power Minister Ashish Sood has strongly refuted Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leader Arvind Kejriwal’s claims regarding power cuts in the Jagatpur Extension area, calling them exaggerated and politically motivated. Mr. Ashish Sood assured that the electricity situation in Delhi has improved significantly and that reported outages were only minor incidents rather than prolonged interruptions. His response comes amidst heightened political tensions ahead of the 2025 Assembly elections, where power supply has become a key electoral issue.
Mr. Ashish Sood directly challenged Mr. Arvind Kejriwal’s statements on social media, presenting data from the past year that recorded 21,597 power cuts lasting an hour or more—averaging 59 outages per day. He dismissed Mr. Arvind Kejriwal’s claim of no power cuts over the last decade as misleading, accusing him of spreading false information for political gains.
To support his argument, Mr. Ashish Sood cited data on planned outages conducted for maintenance purposes. He shared figures from January 2025, which recorded 3,278 power cuts, emphasizing that these were necessary for infrastructure upgrades rather than failures in the power supply system. He also highlighted improvements under his tenure, including the establishment of a 24×7 control room, enhanced coordination between the Delhi government and power distribution companies (DISCOMs), and readiness to procure additional power whenever required.
The power minister criticized Mr. Arvind Kejriwal for what he described as a lack of administrative experience and accused his team of withholding critical information from the public. Using data from the State Load Dispatch Centre, he countered AAP’s claims and reiterated the Delhi government’s efforts to ensure a stable power supply across the capital.
The controversy over power outages comes at a crucial time, as the free electricity scheme introduced by the previous AAP government was a significant factor in its popularity among Delhi residents. However, with multiple AAP leaders, including Mr. Arvind Kejriwal, Manish Sisodia, Satyendar Jain, and Sanjay Singh, facing legal troubles, the party’s credibility has suffered a major setback ahead of the 2025 elections.
Despite Mr. Arvind Kejriwal’s promise to return to a leadership role if AAP secures victory, the party faced a sharp decline in electoral support. After securing massive majorities in the 2015 and 2020 Assembly elections, AAP managed to win only 22 seats in 2025. The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), securing 48 seats, ultimately formed the government under the leadership of Rekha Gupta, marking a significant shift in Delhi’s political landscape.
