Akhilesh Yadav (president of the Samajwadi Party) has declared the Uttar Pradesh government's decision to withdraw the mandatory implementation of prepaid smart meters as a significant victory for the people, attributing it to sustained public opposition. He criticized the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) for inflating electricity bills under the guise of prepaid metering and demanded that the excess charges be rectified in future bills. Yadav warned that if the government does not return the overcharges to consumers, it could lead to renewed protests across the state. The controversy surrounding the smart metering system has seen protests in multiple districts, with consumers alleging forced transitions to prepaid systems and a lack of transparency in billing practices. While the state government argues that smart meters are intended to enhance efficiency and ensure accurate billing, Yadav has raised concerns about the use of technology in governance, suggesting that if advanced tools like artificial intelligence can be applied to electoral processes, they should also be utilized to resolve billing discrepancies.