‘No one can offer me incentives’: Former Andhra CM Jagan denies involvement in Adani bribe allegations 

YS Jagan Mohan Reddy, the former Chief Minister of Andhra Pradesh and leader of the YSR Congress Party (YSRCP), strongly denied the allegations that the Adani Group had paid bribes to state officials for solar power purchases during his tenure.  

Addressing a press conference on November 28, Reddy said the Solar Energy Corporation of India (SECI), which is a central government-run public sector unit (PSU) made an offer for power to several states, including Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh and Odisha, at Rs 2.49 per unit. Pointing out that Andhra Pradesh had never bought power at a cheaper rate, the former CM said that other incentives were also offered to the state, including some waivers, which would have saved the government money.

Regarding the power supply agreement with the Solar Energy Corporation of India (SECI), Reddy stated that the deal would result in savings of over Rs 1 lakh crore over the next 25 years for the state. He clarified that the agreement was made between AP Discoms and SECI, with no third-party involvement. 

The YSRCP chief emphasised that the contract was between SECI, the Andhra Pradesh government and the state power distribution company and there was no question of any other agency intervening. 

“The power purchase agreement was between Andhra Pradesh government discoms and the Solar Energy Corporation of India (SECI) – two government agencies. No others, including industrialist Gautam Adani or the Adani Group, were involved in this,” Jagan said.

In his first public response since the controversy emerged, Reddy explained that while he had met the Adanis several times during his time as CM, such interactions were not unusual for heads of state.  

“Nowhere does it state that incentives were offered to me, because no one can offer me incentives,” he said, adding that meetings between businessmen and government leaders are a standard practice. 

Reddy dismissed the bribery claims as baseless hearsay, asserting that there is no evidence suggesting he or anyone else had taken bribes. He emphasised that his name was not mentioned in any part of a recent US court indictment related to the case. 

The Adani Group, led by chairman Gautam Adani, has been charged by the US Department of Justice in connection with a scheme to pay a $250 million bribe to Indian officials in exchange for favourable solar power contracts, a claim the company has denied. 

In response to the media coverage surrounding the allegations, Reddy announced his intention to file a defamation lawsuit worth Rs 100 crore against certain newspapers for misrepresenting the facts. 

Earlier, the opposition YSRCP had clarified that the government had no direct agreement with the Adani Group. The power purchase agreement for 7,000 MW, approved by the Andhra Pradesh Electricity Regulatory Commission in November 2021, was finalised between SECI and AP Discoms on December 1, 2021.