As Delhi reels under an unforgiving heatwave, large swathes of the city were left without electricity for hours on Wednesday night, triggering a flood of complaints on social media. Residents, battling soaring temperatures, complained that the BJP-led administration is dragging the capital back to the dark days of decade-old power outages.
In sharp contrast, many pointed out that such prolonged cuts were unheard of during the Aam Aadmi Party’s (AAP) tenure. Former CM and Leader of Opposition (LoP) in Delhi Assembly, Atishi, amplified citizen grievances, retweeting dozens of complaints. The AAP squarely charged the BJP’s ‘Vipada’ government for the breakdown, saying the city’s power infrastructure is collapsing under its misrule.
The AAP stated that last year, even at a peak demand of 8,500 MW, Delhi didn’t face a single power cut—but today, the situation is alarming. People are now gripped by fear: if this is the condition in April, what will happen in the peak heat of June and July? Before 2015, Delhi was plagued by long, frequent power outages. Power cuts were a way of life. The Arvind Kejriwal government ended that dark chapter and gave Delhi 24×7 electricity. But now, under BJP’s rule, the city is once again slipping back into an era of relentless blackouts.
Echoing Delhiites concerns, AAP National Convenor Arvind Kejriwal stated: “Yesterday the peak demand in Delhi was 5,462 MW. Due to this, there was no electricity for several hours in many places of Delhi last night. Last year the peak demand had reached about 8500 MW. Still, there was no power outage anywhere in Delhi during our government. What will happen in the coming weeks when the heat in Delhi increases and the demand for electricity also increases? In the last ten years, we have worked hard to fix Delhi’s electricity system. It is said that it takes years to fix anything but it can be damaged in just two days.”
Delhi Assembly LoP Atishi echoed Arvind Kejriwal’s concern on ‘X’, stating: “Hundreds of Delhiites reached out to her throughout Wednesday night from various parts of the city, complaining of extended outages. “People across the city spent the night without electricity. I received messages and calls all night from residents in different areas. The BJP’s Delhi Government is sleeping while Delhi is suffering,” Atishi said on X, as she retweeted multiple posts from residents documenting the power crisis.”
In one particularly shocking instance, Subhash Park in Uttam Nagar reportedly experienced more than 24 hours of power outage. Atishi highlighted this case, calling it “deeply disturbing” and indicative of a complete collapse of the city’s power infrastructure under BJP rule. “Delhiites are now openly saying the BJP is incapable of managing Delhi’s electricity. The Power Minister had claimed that outages were due to ‘maintenance’—but Delhi residents are exposing this excuse every day by continuing to suffer,” she said.
AAP shared a detailed list of areas affected by prolonged power cuts:
• In West Delhi, Dayal Park in West Sagarpur, Nawada Village, Mohan Garden, and Freedom Fighter Enclave in Neb Sarai faced hours of outage.
• Subhash Park in Uttam Nagar was without power for over 10 hours.
• Multiple localities in Janakpuri and Uttam Nagar experienced persistent cuts, including M Block, Khushi Ram Park, Vani Vihar, and Karam Pura.
• Other severely affected areas included Ashok Mohalla in Maujpur, Shyam Vihar, Harsh Vihar, Rohini Sector 16, Dasghara village, Janak Park in Hari Nagar, Patparganj, Chhatarpur, Rajouri Garden, and Sangam Vihar.
Even the Power Minister Can’t Keep Lights On in His Own Constituency
Notably, the epicenter of the power crisis is Janakpuri—the very constituency represented by Power Minister Ashish Sood. Residents have taken to social media in outrage, stating that in just the last two months, they have faced more outages than in the last ten years combined. “If the Power Minister cannot ensure 24×7 power in his own constituency, how can the rest of Delhi expect better?” said Atishi, amplifying citizen complaints from Janakpuri.
One resident, highlighted the multiple-hour-long outages in Janakpuri, prompting Atishi to publicly question the minister’s competence.
“What Will Happen in May-June?” Ask Delhiites
Across the city, residents are now living with the daily anxiety of sudden and long power cuts, often without prior notice. The frequent and erratic outages are disrupting daily life and provoking a wave of anger. AAP pointed to citizens’ growing frustration on social media—many tagging power distribution companies and questioning whether there is any scheduled time for cuts or if supply is being stopped arbitrarily.
An advocate from Karam Pura tweeted, “I’ve lived here for four years. This is the first time I’ve experienced such an outage. Even the children are distressed. The BJP’s government has failed to manage Delhi’s power supply.”
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