Devendra Fadnavis Denies Claims: 'Gautam Adani Never Attended Our Meetings'

Devendra Fadnavis, the Deputy Chief Minister of Maharashtra, recently addressed rumors suggesting Gautam Adani's participation in discussions for the formation of a BJP-NCP government post the 2019 Assembly elections.Contrary to claims made by NCP leader Ajit Pawar, Fadnavis confirmed that while meetings between the BJP and NCP leaders did occur, Adani was not involved. Fadnavis stated, "See, the meeting had happened. Sharad Pawar, Ajit Pawar, (Union Home Minister) Amit Shah, and I were there. But, Gautam Adani was not there."

This clarification emerged following Ajit Pawar's allegations indicating Adani had hosted meetings at his Delhi residence, aiming to facilitate government formation talks between the BJP and NCP leaders. However, Ajit Pawar retracted his statement later, admitting to a mistake in his earlier claims, thus easing the controversy surrounding Adani's supposed involvement.

Ajit Pawar, speaking to ANI, further clarified his position, emphasizing, "I said that he (Adani) was not present there. We were at Adani's guest house. In state government formation, there is no role of an industrialist. Sometimes we are so busy campaigning and giving interviews, and by mistake, I made a statement." He also stressed that he was not pressured into making or retracting his initial statement about Adani's involvement.

The political landscape in Maharashtra saw dramatic shifts following the 2019 Assembly elections. Ajit Pawar briefly allied with Fadnavis in a short-lived government that lasted a mere 80 hours. This episode was followed by Ajit Pawar's return to the NCP, which then joined the Maha Vikas Aghadi government alongside the Congress and Shiv Sena. However, the political dynamics took another turn in June 2022 when a faction of Shiv Sena MLAs, led by Eknath Shinde, defected, leading to the collapse of the coalition. Shinde subsequently assumed the role of Chief Minister with Fadnavis as his deputy. In a surprising turn of events, Ajit Pawar, along with a number of NCP MLAs, later joined the Shinde-Fadnavis government, resulting in a split within the NCP camp.

The political saga underscores the volatile nature of Maharashtra's political climate, especially with the upcoming Assembly elections scheduled for November 20. The state, which holds 288 Assembly seats, is poised for a single-phase election, with the counting of votes to follow three days later. This election marks the first since the fragmentation of the Shiv Sena and NCP, highlighting the ever-changing political alliances in the state. As Maharashtra gears up for this pivotal election, the focus remains on the potential outcomes and the future direction of the state's governance.