Chennai: With the Tamil Nadu elections only weeks away, the LPG cylinder shortage has become an election weapon as 200-plus hotels remained shut Thursday in Chennai. As the Iran conflict has hit LPG shipments through the Strait of Hormuz, oil refineries have been directed to feed household cylinders first, leaving commercial users gasping.
What began as a supply-chain crisis has transformed to a political tool, as the ruling Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) is criticising the Centre. On its part, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is calling it “a narrative” of the ruling party, ensuring that the West Asia conflict does not snowball into an electoral liability for the party in Tamil Nadu.
The DMK leaders are presenting the fuel shortage as proof of the Centre’s “failure” in foreign policy and the neglect of Tamil Nadu. Aware that it fights elections here largely through alliances, the BJP is countering aggressively on the ground to protect its image and shield its National Democratic Alliance (NDA) allies from collateral damage.
“The Union government should take diplomatic steps to ensure a stable crude oil supply from West Asian countries,” DMK leader T.K.S. Elangovan told ANI.
Chief Minister M K Stalin said Thursday that he chaired a high-level review meeting with Food and Civil Supplies Minister R. Sakkarapani recently, and added that he wrote to Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union ministers, urging “immediate action” to restore commercial LPG, petrol and diesel supplies.
மேற்காசியப் போர்ச்சூழல் காரணமாக, தற்போது ஏற்பட்டிருக்கும் நெருக்கடிகளை எதிர்கொள்ள, இரண்டு நாட்களுக்கு முன்பு உயர்மட்ட ஆலோசனை மேற்கொண்டதோடு, சமையல் எரிவாயு சிலிண்டர் தட்டுப்பாடு – பெட்ரோல் – டீசல் உள்ளிட்ட எரிபொருள் விநியோகம் குறித்து மாண்புமிகு பிரதமர் அவர்களுக்கும், தொடர்புடைய… https://t.co/N9f4XCVnXH
— M.K.Stalin – தமிழ்நாட்டை தலைகுனிய விடமாட்டேன் (@mkstalin) March 12, 2026
The letter, handed over by Rajya Sabha MP Kanimozhi, emphasised that the shortage must not affect the public, commercial establishments. It also sought alternative arrangements for restaurants.
Stalin also stated that DMK MPs staged a protest inside Parliament premises, urging the Union government for a swift action.
“As the Union Government has stated that sufficient fuel stocks are available, I request the public not to panic or feel anxious. At this moment, let us stand together and support the efforts being taken to address the challenges arising from the West Asia war situation,” he stated on X.
Attacking the DMK for dynasty politics and “scientific corruption”, Modi in Trichy on Wednesday had clarified on the LPG shortage, saying that there was no need to panic. “We showcased India is a mature nation during the pandemic and we will handle this maturely,” he said.
Meanwhile, Tamil Nadu BJP president Nainar Nagendran went further. “I am an LPG dealer myself and can confirm there is no shortage. The claims are being made by opposition parties to create panic.”
Vox populi
In Chennai, small eateries that cater to college students, hospital visitors and daily-wage labourers are the worst hit.
One such shop next to a city college declared a “holiday” on Thursday. “The gas has not been coming for two days. We need two cylinders for functioning from 7 am till 9 pm on a daily basis. A lot of students are coming here as they depend on our shop for daily affordable breakfast but we had to turn them away,” Munna, a restaurant owner in Aminjikarai told ThePrint.
Munna employs 10 people, including a master and two assistants. There, he said, is also no alternative cooking system since the shop is in an open area on a main road.
Others like Murugan who owns an eatery in Mount Road brought down their menus so that they can continue their small businesses. “We used to serve porotta, idli and dosa also. We had to cut that because it takes more time for cooking. We are now serving only fried rice and biryani,” he said.
Similarly, the big restaurants such as Balaji that used to get six-eight commercial gas cylinders in a day upon a day’s intimation are now relying only on three-four cylinders.
“To ensure that the restaurant remains functioning, we have cut down on the menu. A few food and tiffin items such as rice, and idli can be cooked using electric cookers but we have restricted the timings for the availability for food items like roti, dosa and naan because these items have to be cooked using gas cylinders,” Sathish, the manager of the Balaji restaurant in Anna Nagar, told ThePrint. “We are trying to manage as long as we can.”
Sigaram, a regular at one of the affected restaurants in Arumbakkam, seems to be agreeing with the DMK’s contentions. “The war has been going on for many days now and the people in India are also affected. The government officials, the Prime Minister are not going to do anything because they are not affected but the people of Tamil Nadu are…,” he said.
The BJP, according to him, may have an alliance but it can never come to power in Tamil Nadu.
(Edited by Tony Rai)
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