TN CM Vijay begins high-profile political outreach in New Delhi with PM Modi meeting

Chennai: Tamil Nadu Chief Minister C. Joseph Vijay on Wednesday met Prime Minister Narendra Modi, in New Delhi in a politically-significant interaction that comes barely weeks after the actor-turned-politician assumed office.

The meeting that came nearly 12 years after their last known meeting, was held at the Prime Minister’s Office at Seva Teerth in the national Capital and lasted for some time.

During the interaction, CM Vijay is understood to have submitted a memorandum to PM Modi, highlighting several demands and development-related requests concerning Tamil Nadu.

The meeting immediately triggered political discussions over the evolving relationship between the Centre and Tamil Nadu’s newly-formed coalition government led by the TVK.

Soon after the meeting, Vijay arrived at Tamil Nadu House where he was accorded a ceremonial Guard of Honour during his first official visit to Delhi since taking oath as Chief Minister on May 10.

The visit assumes political significance as it comes days after Vijay comfortably won the trust vote in the Tamil Nadu Assembly, consolidating his position as the head of the State’s first coalition government in decades.

The TVK had emerged as the single-largest party in the recent Assembly elections and later formed the government with the support of the Congress, CPI, CPI(M), VCK and IUML.

According to sources, PM Modi is scheduled to chair the NITI Aayog meeting of Chief Ministers on June 11 in New Delhi, and CM Vijay has also been invited to participate.

Reports suggest that CM Vijay is expected to hold more detailed discussions with the Prime Minister during the meeting next month.

As part of his ongoing Delhi visit, CM Vijay is also scheduled to meet Union Home Minister Amit Shah and Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman later on Wednesday night.

Apart from the meetings with BJP leaders at the Centre, CM Vijay is also expected to hold consultations with senior Congress leaders Sonia Gandhi, Rahul Gandhi and Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge at 10 Janpath.

Posters carrying photographs of Leader of the Opposition (LoP) in the Lok Sabha, Rahul Gandhi and CM Vijay were seen outside the Congress leadership’s residence ahead of the meeting, underlining the importance being attached to the interaction by alliance partners.

Leaders from the Left parties and the IUML are also expected to call on CM Vijay at Tamil Nadu House during the course of his visit.

IANS