Lucknow, May 25 -- : After nearly a decade in which prolonged power outages, street protests and public anger over electricity supply had gradually almost become an old story, signs of a relapse are beginning to emerge in Uttar Pradesh, particularly in Lucknow and several urban pockets.

The return is nowhere near the scale seen in earlier years, but the problem has become visible enough for even ruling BJP legislators from the state capital to raise concerns publicly, apart from criticism by the Opposition.

The natural question, therefore, being asked everywhere is: what exactly is going wrong?

The state has not been facing a major supply crisis. Uttar Pradesh recently touched record power demand levels of over 30,000 megawatt (MW), am...