Powerless in UP

Uttar Pradesh's much-discussed power crisis caused Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav some embarrassment in the secretariat block on Tuesday. Just as he was about to brief journalists on that morning's state Cabinet decisions, darkness descended on the "media centre" owing to a sudden power cut. Flanked by top bureaucrats, including the chief secretary, the ever-smiling CM simply retorted, "…it is the Diwali effect" even as the cameras flashed. To make matters worse, the power backup system also developed a snag and power was restored only after about 10 minutes.