Tamil Nadu Chief Minister C. Joseph Vijay on Tuesday participated in Vijayawada Utsav 2.0 along with his Andhra Pradesh counterpart N. Chandrababu Naidu. Vijay briefly spoke in Telugu, drawing loud cheers from the participants in the annual festival at Punnami Ghat on the banks of the Krishna River on Tuesday night.
“I am very happy to meet all of you. I consider it a privilege to participate in these Navaratri celebrations,” said Vijay, who was in Vijayawada to hold talks with his Andhra Pradesh counterpart on water supply to Chennai and river-linking proposals.
“I have come to Vijayawada to discuss the interlinking of rivers with CM Chandrababu. It brings me great joy to see you all,” he said while extending Navaratri greetings to people.
Vijay, who also offered prayers at Kanaka Durga Temple soon after his arrival from Chennai, thanked the people for their hospitality. Vijay and Chandrababu Naidu watched colourful cultural performances and traditional dances.
An initiative of Vijayawada MP Kesineni Sivanath (Chinni), the annual festival is aimed at showcasing Vijayawada’s hospitality, culture, traditions and spiritual heritage nationally. Speaking on the occasion, Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu stated that Vijayawada is buzzing with excitement due to Vijayawada Utsav 2.0.
“I wholeheartedly congratulate the organisers and the committee. This is Tamil Nadu CM Vijay Thalapathy's first visit to Vijayawada since assuming office. It was Goddess Durga herself who brought him here,” he said. Chandrababu Naidu stated that Vijay is working with the goal of developing Tamil Nadu. He noted that Vijay became Chief Minister within just two years of launching his party.
“Seeing the enthusiasm of the youth gives me confidence that the youth of our country can achieve anything in the world. Although our states are different, our objective is the same: the nation must prosper, and states like Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, and Karnataka must all develop,” he said. “Anything is possible under Prime Minister Modi's leadership.
The interlinking of the Godavari and Cauvery rivers will take place. If the Penna, Godavari, Krishna and Cauvery rivers are connected, four states will benefit,” Chandrababu Naidu added. CM Naidu said he had no doubt that India will become number one in the world by 2047.
Vijay discusses river water sharing and interlinking proposals
Earlier CM Vijay held talks with his Andhra Pradesh counterpart N. Chandrababu Naidu on river water sharing and interlinking proposals In his first visit to the neighbouring state since taking over as Chief Minister, Vijay’s programme included a visit to the temple and discussions with Naidu.
Vijay travelled to Andhra Pradesh aboard a private aircraft, landing in Vijayawada at around 3.45 pm. The Tamil Nadu Chief Minister was accorded a warm reception on arrival. Andhra Pradesh ministers personally received him on behalf of the state government before he proceeded with the engagements planned for his one-day visit.
Vijay visited the Kanaka Durga Amman temple and offered prayers to the presiding deity. Following the temple visit, he proceeded to meet Naidu in Vijayawada, where the Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister welcomed him with a bouquet. The two Chief Ministers discussed the sharing of river waters between Tamil Nadu and Andhra Pradesh.
Krishna water sharing was among the subjects taken up during the meeting, alongside proposals for linking rivers and the proposed Godavari–Cauvery interlinking project. The discussions brought water sharing and river-linking proposals into focus during Vijay’s first visit to the neighbouring state as Chief Minister. The account provided, however, did not detail either government’s position on the individual proposals discussed.
Andhra Pradesh’s Water Resources Minister, the Chief Secretary and other officials attended the meeting. Tamil Nadu ministers Anand and Aadhav Arjuna accompanied Vijay and participated in the discussions with Naidu and the Andhra Pradesh delegation. The presence of ministers and senior officials from both states formed part of the engagement.
However, no agreement, decision, or timetable for implementing the proposals was specified in the account of the meeting. While the leaders discussed the Godavari–Cauvery link and other water-related matters, details of any follow-up measures or further consultations between the two state governments were not provided.
Tamil Nadu CM Vijay participates in Vijayawada Utsav 2.0
