While some are appreciative, a majority feels its an attempt to garner popularity and publicity.

Leena Sarkar, a schoolteacher, said: "The governor has always stood by us. Unlike other politicians, he truly feels and cares for us. I hope his initiatives won't go waste."

"It's good to know that the governor wants to share the inconvenience we face due to frequent power cuts. But the way he is trying to protest is absurd. His voluntary power cut is not going to produce electricity for us," Sheikh Hassan Ali, an engineer, told IANS.

In a statement issued Tuesday, Gandhi had said: "If all Kolkatans are suffering from frequent power cuts in this summer heat, why should the Raj Bhavan be an exception? Hence, I have decided to observe a two-hour voluntary power cut daily from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. from Wednesday onwards to empathise with my fellow citizens."

"Gandhi's initiative is futile. Does he want to prove that he is the true successor of Mahatma Gandhi by taking up similar ways of non-violent protest? Does he expect to pressurise the government by this?" asked neurosurgeon Prasenjit Chatterjee.