Punjab Cabinet Minister Sanjeev Arora on Monday dismissed speculation about his joining the BJP, reaffirming his association with the ruling Aam Aadmi Party (AAP).Addressing a press conference on the prevailing power situation in the state, Arora ruled out any possibility of quitting AAP and said he would continue to discharge his duties as a Cabinet Minister.He also stated that he had not been in contact with party leader Raghav Chadha for the past six months.On the issue of action by the Enforcement Directorate, the minister said he was willing to fully cooperate with the ongoing probe.Highlighting the power scenario, Arora said the shortage was not confined to Punjab but was being witnessed across the country. He attributed the situation to a sharp rise in demand, reduced generation, coal shortages and increased consumption due to rising temperatures.He said the shortage, which began around April 18, was being actively addressed, with efforts underway to enhance generation, streamline supply and manage demand. The situation had begun improving and was expected to stabilise after May 1, with technical issues likely to be resolved by mid-May.Arora added that a thermal plant in Mukerian was currently under repair due to earlier faults and was expected to resume operations soon. To meet the shortfall, additional power had been procured from Tata Power.Providing context, he said Punjab’s average power demand stood at around 4,000 MW, which could surge to nearly 17,000 MW during peak periods, particularly in the paddy season. He noted that unseasonal heat and sudden weather changes had led to an unexpected spike in demand this year, though unplanned outages had declined significantly compared to last year.The minister also clarified that the reduced supply was not linked to the free electricity scheme, reiterating the government’s commitment to ensuring uninterrupted power and its readiness to procure electricity at higher costs if needed.