LUCKNOW, July 30 -- Amid rising tension over the privatisation push in Uttar Pradesh's power sector, two employee unions have backed state energy minister AK Sharma and accused the Vidyut Karmachari Sanyukt Sangharsh Samiti of launching a politically motivated agitation to harm the minister's image and benefit certain senior leaders. In two back-to-back press releases, one on Monday and the second on Tuesday, the unions termed the ongoing protest a "pre-planned political conspiracy" and distanced themselves from it. Notably, the statements were released by the minister's office and not directly by the unions. The Sangharsh Samiti, however, rejected the allegations. Its leader, Shailendra Dubey, said the protest against privatisation was entirely apolitical. "We have nothing to do with politics. The day the government withdraws the privatisation decision, we will call off the agitation," he said. According to the press note issued by the minister's office on behalf of the Vidyut Samvida Karmachari Mahasangh, a virtual meeting held on July 28 saw leaders from various contract employee groups condemning the allegations against the minister. Federation president RS Rai alleged that the protest had been taken over by political interests. "This is not the first time. In 2023, the same group staged an unjustified strike from March 16 to 18, resulting in the termination of nearly 5,000 contract workers. The aim was to remove honest officers like the energy minister and then UPPCL chairman M Devraj," Rai said. In a separate statement on Tuesday, Ramveer Singh, general secretary of the Vidyut Takneekee Karmachari Sangh, extended full support to Sharma and criticised the Sangharsh Samiti for "dirty politics." He said, "The allegations against the energy minister are nothing but a pre-planned, politically motivated conspiracy. The ongoing protest appears detached from actual employee concerns or the fight against privatisation." Meanwhile, a Sangharsh Samiti member, who did not wish to be named, claimed that the unions supporting the minister had minimal presence on the ground. Notably, the protest took a sharper turn after the Sangharsh Samiti launched a campaign demanding that chief minister Yogi Adityanath take direct charge of the energy department. The group accused Sharma of defaming the department to push the privatisation of Purvanchal and Dakshinanchal power distribution companies (Discoms). On Monday, the minister said the decision on privatisation was not his alone. He clarified that it was made by the Energy Task Force headed by the chief secretary, following government approval....