Congress Calls Fadnavis’ APTEL Bias Claim Hypocrisy

The Congress party has labeled Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis’ complaint to Prime Minister Narendra Modi regarding the Appellate Tribunal for Electricity’s (APTEL) alleged bias towards private power companies as ‘hypocrisy’. This accusation follows media reports indicating Fadnavis sought intervention with the apex appellate body due to its recent rulings.

Accusations Against APTEL’s Past Rulings

Congress general secretary Jairam Ramesh stated that Fadnavis had reportedly protested APTEL’s heavy bias favoring private power companies. Ramesh, however, pointed out that the ‘Modani’ conglomerate, a term referring to the Adani group, has frequently benefited from APTEL’s decisions in Maharashtra.

• At least four cases were decided in favor of ‘Modani’ (Adani group).
• These rulings occurred in Maharashtra during 2025 and 2026.

The Congress party utilizes the term ‘Modani’ to suggest an implied collusion between the Adani conglomerate and the Modi government. Ramesh further alleged that the Maharashtra government itself has shown undue favoritism towards ‘Modani’ in both power and real estate development projects, specifically mentioning Dharavi.

Fadnavis’ Sudden Outcry and Call for Scrutiny

Jairam Ramesh suggested that Fadnavis’ recent strong reaction might stem from a new APTEL decision favoring another private entity, JSW. The Chief Minister’s letter reportedly cited APTEL’s recent rulings which have favored private power companies over state-owned entities.

Ramesh urged Fadnavis to extend his scrutiny to all prior APTEL decisions that have benefited the Adani group. He argued these came at the expense of the state government and its consumers, emphasizing the need for a comprehensive review.