Nainar Nagenthran. File

| Photo Credit: G. Moorthy

Continuous power cuts across Tamil Nadu have plunged citizens into darkness under the Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam-led government, BJP State president Nainar Nagenthran charged on Wednesday (May 27, 2026).In a statement, Mr. Nagenthran said, “What steps is Chief Minister C. Joseph Vijay going to take to ensure Tamil Nadu’s self-reliance in power generation? He must transparently declare his stance on the matter in the Legislative Assembly.”“This crisis has severely impacted not only common citizens but also various industries,” he alleged. The Electricity Board must take immediate and appropriate measures to increase total power production, otherwise, this power crisis will continue indefinitely, he said.Tamil Nadu’s external dependency for power stood at 19,126 MW, he pointed out, and further said that the outstanding debt of the Electricity Board has reached ₹2.5 lakh crore. “Under the previous DMK regime, electricity tariff hikes over four years amounted to ₹42,000 crore. Multiple power projects aimed at generating 5,700 MW have been delayed and unfulfilled for several years,” Mr. Nagenthran said.He pointed out that the production at existing thermal power stations continued to face severe delays and the State power utility was incurring massive financial losses, primarily because it purchased power from private entities at exorbitant rates. “Power generation stations across Tamil Nadu remain faulty and unrepaired, directly leading to a deficit in electricity production.”‘Delivered only disappointment’Earlier, in a social media post, Mr. Nagenthran said Mr. Vijay, who had said during his election campaign that it was time for change, had been delivering only disappointment to the people of Tamil Nadu since being elected to power. “While focusing on luring people from other parties through bargaining, he has failed to focus on maintaining law and order in the State,” he charged. Published - May 27, 2026 04:02 pm IST