Uttar Pradesh power minister feels 'powerless', alleges ‘supari’ threat amid staff revolt - 'I can't even transfer a JE'

UP Energy Minister AK Sharma

Uttar Pradesh’s political corridors are witnessing growing unrest within the state’s power sector, as Energy Minister AK Sharma has gone public with allegations of being targeted by elements within his own department. This intensifying confrontation emerges amidst continued protests by electricity department employees over plans to privatise power distribution in several regions and follows a string of public grievances surrounding power cuts and infrastructure failures, The Indian Express reported.

In a pointed post on his official X handle, Sharma declared that “those who have (taken) supari of Energy Minister A K Sharma… are upset since (the) Energy Minister does not bow before them,” directly accusing a section of power department employees of acting as “anti-social” elements working against him.

According to details highlighted by The Indian Express, the minister’s post went further, stating, “When the Energy Minister cannot transfer even a JE (Junior Engineer), when the functioning of the UPPCL (Uttar Pradesh Power Corporation Limited) is independent, then how could (the) Energy Minister take such a big decision?… It seems that all those who are jealous with AK Sharma have come together. But, God and public are with AK Sharma”.

These claims come on the heels of months of protests led by employees’ unions fervently opposing the government’s privatisation drive. The controversy surrounds the government’s decision to gradually shift power supply distribution, already handed to private firm Torrent in Agra during the Mayawati regime, to further areas, a move expected to impact jobs and subsidies, and one which has met repeated strikes and widespread protests in recent months.

According to The Indian Express report, friction between Sharma and his officials has been particularly acute, to the extent that the department’s employee union has formally sought his removal as minister. The union alleges that Sharma is “not able to enforce the privatisation programme, for which he was sent to Uttar Pradesh”. Adding fuel to the fire, union leaders have urged Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath to abandon the privatisation push altogether, criticising the move as unfair to public sector undertakings that, they say, have posted record performance in electricity supply.

Sharma, who once served as one of Narendra Modi’s most trusted bureaucrats, later joining the BJP and swiftly rising to state-level leadership, was given charge of the Energy and Urban Development portfolios after the party retained power in UP in 2022. However, despite significant funding, pressure has mounted on the minister from repeated electricity outages, tripping and technical failures across the state, with the Opposition, led by Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav, persistently lambasting the government’s performance on social media and public platforms, The Indian Express reported.

Last week, Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath reportedly convened a high-level review of the Energy Department, where he warned officials that “any form of negligence will not be tolerated. Accountability must be fixed at every level.” He emphasised the “record-breaking budget” assigned for strengthening supply infrastructure and ordered officials to undertake urgent improvements in transformer and feeder capacity. Sharma joined this meeting virtually, highlighting the department’s ongoing challenges, as reported by The Indian Express.

As protests have escalated, employees have staged demonstrations at Sharma’s residence and have accused the minister of “inciting chaos.” Sharma, in turn, has accused the protesting employees of using “uncivilised language” and carrying out “indecent acts” outside his home. Crucially, he has repeatedly sought to clarify that the decision to privatise distribution is not his alone but one taken at a higher administrative level, with a task force under the Chief Secretary overseeing the process, according to The Indian Express.

On X, the minister’s recent remarks underscore his feelings of frustration and isolation, questioning why repeated strikes occur in his department but not others and implying political motives among those protesting. Union leaders counter that their opposition to privatisation dates back to earlier regimes and have refuted claims of inconsistency or foreign trips, with one leader cited by The Indian Express as stating that their prior travel was for cultural outreach, not in return for silence.