Oommen Chandy rejected Adani’s election offer after striking Vizhinjam agreement: KV Thomas

Thiruvananthapuram: Former Chief Minister Oommen Chandy had declined an offer from the Adani Group to extend financial support to the Congress party during the 2016 Assembly elections, which came after finalising the Vizhinjam Port agreement, said former Congress leader and special representative of the Pinarayi Vijayan government in New Delhi, KV Thomas.

Thomas, also the former Union Minster, stated that Oommen Chandy made a strong and principled decision regarding Vizhinjam. “During a 2015 visit to Delhi, when I was serving as the Chairman of the Public Accounts Committee, Chandy expressed concern that no one was willing to take up the Vizhinjam Port construction. He indeed feared the project might be lost,” he said.

Thomas recounted that he had told Chandy about his personal connection with Gautam Adani. “I told him about the objections Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi had regarding Adani and asked him to address that. When Adani was contacted, he flagged trade union issues in Kerala and also pointed out that Tamil Nadu was offering 2,000 acres of land free of cost for a competing port project. But then, he agreed to meet Chandy.”

According to Thomas, the initial discussion took place over breakfast at his residence, where both Chandy and Adani first met. This was followed by a one-on-one conversation between the two. “After that meeting, Adani confirmed that he would come to Kerala,” Thomas said.

Chandy later persuaded Sonia Gandhi of the strategic necessity of the Vizhinjam project. Despite some Congress leaders writing letters opposing Adani’s involvement, Chandy stood firm in his decision. “Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan then took over and steered the project forward with a steady and pragmatic approach, overcoming several challenges and crises to make the Vizhinjam project a reality,” Thomas added.