"He was not present": Ajit Pawar denies reports of Gautam Adani's presence in government formation meeting

Mumbai: Maharashtra Deputy CM Ajit Pawar on Friday clarified on an earlier statement that industrialist Gautam Adani was present at the key discussions about government formation in the state involving top BJP and NCP leaders 5 years ago. Pawar said that he had made a mistake by stating this earlier.
"I said about that, sometimes we are so busy with our work, that, by mistake, I will say something...... it must have happened by mistake.," Pawar stated.
"I am a man, only a man makes mistakes," he added.
Speaking to ANI in an interview, Pawar stated that the industrialist was not present at any meeting on government formation.
"He (Gautam Adani) was not there. They were not there. meeting is held in different areas. Like we are sitting here. Some are in Devgiri, some are in Sagar, some are in Varsha, some are in different hotels, some are in other places, in guest houses," Ajit Pawar said.
Ajit Pawar said that the meeting was held in the industrialist's guest house and denied the role of any industrialist in the government formation.
"We were sitting in Gautam Adani's guest house. To form a government of a state, an industrialist has no role. He was not there." Pawar stated.
When asked if was he pressurised to give such a statement, he said that he does not come under pressure.
"I don't listen to anyone's pressure. I am sitting here; I have no reason to be oppressed by anyone. I have not harmed anyone and no one has harmed me," Pawar said.
On opposition allegations against the NDA government of allocating all industries to Gujarat he said, "This is also a fake narrative. Everyone is going to Gujarat. Even today, the most investment of Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) is coming to Maharashtra. It is number one in the whole country," he added.
Meanwhile, the campaigning has intensified for the 288 assembly seats in Maharashtra, with both the ruling Mahayuti and the opposition Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) making efforts to woo the electorate. The Maharashtra assembly elections are scheduled for November 20, and counting will be held on November 23.