Former Tamil Nadu Electricity Minister and DMK leader Senthil Balaji criticized the TVK-led state government for failing to address the ongoing power outages in the state. Balaji accused the government of administrative failure and emphasized the need for immediate action instead of what he called “distraction tactics.” He highlighted that residents in various parts of the state were enduring power cuts lasting between six to 12 hours, leading to protests and road blockades, even at midnight.
Balaji expressed disappointment in the government’s performance, stating that the promised changes had not materialized, causing significant hardships for the public. He specifically called out Chief Minister C. Joseph Vijay for his silence on the matter and criticized Electricity Minister V. Senthilkumar for allegedly diverting attention from the crisis through conspiracy theories. Balaji questioned the minister’s claims regarding theft of fuse carriers and missing hard disks, labeling them as attempts to mislead the public.
The DMK leader defended the power sector employees against accusations of sabotage, emphasizing their dedication to public service. He compared the current situation to the previous DMK government’s successful management of rising electricity demand without widespread outages. Balaji highlighted the state’s peak power demand increase from 16,481 MW in 2021 to 20,974 MW in April 2026, noting the uninterrupted power supply during the DMK regime. He urged the government to prioritize resolving the crisis over social media activities and quoted DMK President M.K. Stalin in emphasizing the need for urgent measures to address power cuts and restore public trust.
