TDP mum on Adani row; trouble for Congress in Telangana

Hyderabad: Even as the indictment of Gautam Adani in the Unite States says a large portion of the alleged bribe was given to a top-ranking official in Andhra Pradesh during Jagan Mohan’s tenure as the chief minister, the development has drawn a muted response from the ruling the Telugu Desam Party (TDP).

TDP is an important ally of the BJP-led government at the Centre. Moreover, Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu recently held a meeting with a delegation of the Adani Group over possible investments in Andhra Pradesh.

Adani Group’s proposed data centre in Visakhapatnam is at an advanced stage. The conglomerate also owns two ports in the state — Krishnapatnam in Nellore and Gangavaram in Anakapalle district.

“Maybe our leader does not want to comment immediately given the party’s position in the NDA. The issue needs to be studied in depth. Only then will we be able to respond,” a TDP leader told DH.

BRS attacks Congress govt

On the other hand, the indictment has put the A Revanth Reddy-led Congress government in Telangana in a spot. The BRS intensified its attacks on the Congress government. In the last 11 months, BRS, especially its working president, K T Rama Rao, has never missed an opportunity to criticize the state government for its 'close links' with the Adani Group.

Notably, the Adani Group had recently donated Rs 100 crore to the Telangana government for the construction of Skills University. Adani Group chairman Gautam Adani personally handed over the cheque of Rs 100 crore to the chief minister, A Revanth Reddy. It is also alleged that the government has been pushing for a cement plant in Ramannapet by Ambuja Cements despite opposition from the locals. Revanth Reddy's meeting with Gautam Adani's son Karan Adani a few months ago had sparked a political storm in Telangana.

In January, the Adani portfolio of companies signed four memorandums of understanding (MoU) for investment of over Rs 12,400 crore, in Telangana at the World Economic Forum annual meeting in Davos.

These were signed in the presence of Revanth Reddy, and Gautam Adani.

Adani Enterprises Limited (AEL) was to invest over Rs 5,000 crore in a 100 MW data centre, which would be powered by renewable energy, over the coming five to seven years. Adani Green Energy Limited (AGEL) pledged to invest over Rs 5,000 crore to set up two pump storage projects (PSPs) –850 MW at Koyabestagudem and 500 MW at Nacharam.

Ambuja Cements was to invest Rs 1,400 crore to set up a 6 MTPA cement plant in the next five years. Adani Defence Systems and Technologies Limited promised to invest over Rs 1,000 crore in 10 years to set up a comprehensive ecosystem for the research, development, design, manufacturing and integration of counter drone and missile systems at the Adani Aerospace Park.

BRS working president KT Rama Rao in a social media post addressed to Rahul Gandhi said, “High time you and your Congress CM in Telangana come clean. You can hold a million press conferences and say whatever you may please. But can you tell me that the Rs 100 crore ‘gifted’ by Adani to Revanth Reddy is not a bribe? Can you tell what the Telangana government promised Adani?”