The AAP effect: Congress leaders to protest against rising power rates in Mumbai

Mumbai – Congress MPs from Mumbai, Sanjay Nirupam and Priya Dutt, will lead protests in the city today outside the regional office of Reliance Energy, the power company that provides electricity in their constituencies.

Mr Nirupam and Ms Dutt are demanding a reduction in electricity tariffs like the one announced by the new Aam Aadmi Party government in Delhi. Their party, the Congress, leads a coalition government in Maharashtra.

Mr Nirupam had written to Maharashtra Chief Minister Prithviraj Chavan last month threatening a mass agitation if electricity rates were not cut.

In his strongly worded letter, the Rajya Sabha MP had repeatedly referred to AAP’s measures to reign in power rates in Delhi. He also suggested an audit of private power companies operating in Mumbai on the lines of an investigation by the national auditor requested by Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal. The Mumbai lawmaker has alleged that cartelisation is driving up power tariffs.

Today’s power protests are also being seen as a fallout of internecine battles in the Mumbai Congress.

Priya Dutt is the Lok Sabha Member of Parliament from Mumbai North West.