Amethi powerless: Will Rahul's visit make any difference?

With Uttar Pradesh battling a twin crisis of poor monsoon and little power supply, the Gandhi family's bastion Amethi is powerless.

Dharmendra Kumar waited for rain and electricity. But his paddy nursery was drying. So he returned to the basics.

"Due to the shortage of rain and power, tubewells are lying useless. We are trying to meet our needs through buckets," he said.

Nearly 50 miles away, the court closed down hours ago. But Arun Kumar, a lawyer, is racing against the Sun. He knows that night will bring power cuts and darkness.

"We staying here because there is no electricity. Here there is at least a generator which helps us in our work. There is no generator at our homes," he said.

Some people have learnt to live in the powerless UP, some haven't. As UP falls short of 50 million units of power daily, there have been 50 incidents of protests against power cuts in the last 30 days.

In Meerut an angry mob made a power department official sit on a pyre, in Gonda, a police station was set on fire

But this power riot in Rahul Gandhi's Amethi pushed UP's power crisis to the headlines.

Now Rahul will visit Amethi on Friday. Since power is state subject, he can't promise relief but as UP battles the twin crisis or poor monsoon and power supply, he may send a political signal. And within 60 days of parliamentary elections, revive his war with Mayawati.

The people of Amethi feel that they are caught in a power struggle between Mayawati and Rahul Gandhi, a tussel they fear is only likely to intensify in the days to come.