Satheesan asks Pinarayi to clarify whether Adani Group took steps to sell stake in Vizhinjam port during LDF rule

Chief Minister V.D. Satheesan on Friday wanted Leader of the Opposition Pinarayi Vijayan to clarify whether the Adani Group had adopted any measure or contacted the CPI(M)-led LDF government which was then in power in Kerala regarding the sale of stake in Adani Vizhinjam Port Private Limited (AVPPL).

Reacting to Mr. Vijayan’s recent remarks on the proposed Adani-MSC stake sale, Mr. Satheesan asked whether representatives of the Mediterranean Shipping Company (MSC) had not attended the Vizhinjam Conclave organised by the LDF government in 2025. Was it not proof of it that the CPI(M) mouthpiece published a report on July 1 (2026) portraying the proposed sale as an achievement of the foresight of the LDF government, he asked.

Even before that, on June 5, the CPI(M) mouthpiece had published a report saying that an ‘MSC terminal’ would be established in Vizhinjam, Mr. Satheesan said. Mr. Satheesan asked whether these developments would have taken place without the knowledge of the LDF government and Mr. Vijayan, who was then the Chief Minister.

Mr. Satheesan also wanted Mr. Vijayan to explain what was the wrongdoing on the part of the present UDF government in relation with the Vizhinjam issue.

The Chief Minister reiterated that the State government would keep the State’s interests at the forefront when taking a decision on Vizhinjam. The government had received the first intimation from the Adani Group about the proposed sale on the evening of July 1. The next day, the State government had conveyed its displeasure to the company for approaching the Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) in connection with the proposal without seeking prior approval from the Kerala government. Subsequently, the State government also constituted an empowered committee to examine the issue, he said.

Mr. Satheesan also pointed out that the Kerala government was not a share holder in the AVPPL. But Clause 5.3 of the Concession Agreement on the Vizhinjam port necessitated prior approval of the government for sale of stake. Clause 5.8 stipulated that the Common User Facility cannot be monopolised by any one company.

On July 7, Mr. Vijayan had said that the transaction, if allowed to go through, would prove detrimental to the State’s interests. He had also urged SEBI to examine whether a disclosure by Adani Ports and Special Economic Zone Limited (APSEZ) on the share purchase and subscription agreement concerning the AVPPL conformed to contractual and regulatory requirements.