CHENNAI: Tamil Nadu Chief Minister C. Joseph Vijay on Wednesday called on Union Home Minister Amit Shah in Chennai ahead of the 31st meeting of the Southern Zonal Council, scheduled to be held at Kovalam on the outskirts of the city in Chengalpattu district.
Meeting described as a courtesy call
Officials characterised the late-night meeting as a "courtesy visit" and noted it was the first interaction between Shah and CM Vijay since the latter assumed office. The Union Home Minister, who chairs the Southern Zonal Council, shared a photograph from the meeting on his social media account.
The 31st meeting is expected to be attended by chief ministers and senior representatives from the southern states and Union territories that form the council. Confirmed participants include the chief ministers of Karnataka and Kerala, D.K. Shivakumar and V.D. Satheesan, respectively, along with leaders from Andhra Pradesh and Telangana. Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu and Telangana Deputy Chief Minister Mallu Bhatti Vikramarka are scheduled to take part.
Agenda: interstate disputes and national issues
The Southern Zonal Council provides a forum for discussion and resolution of matters affecting member states and Union Territories. According to a government release, the council will deliberate on a range of inter-state and national issues. Ongoing river water sharing disputes between the southern states — notably between Karnataka and Tamil Nadu, Telangana and Andhra Pradesh, and Tamil Nadu and Kerala — are among the matters expected to figure in discussions.
Following the meeting on Thursday, Amit Shah is slated to visit the ancient shore temple complex at Mamallapuram, officials said.
Who comprises the Southern Zonal Council
- States: Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Kerala, Tamil Nadu and Telangana
- Union Territories: Puducherry, Andaman and Nicobar Islands, Lakshadweep
The council, set up to facilitate cooperative federalism and dispute resolution, convenes periodically under the chairmanship of the Union Home Minister. It serves as a consultative mechanism to address differences between the Centre and member states or among the states themselves.
Importance for Tamil Nadu
For Tamil Nadu, the council meeting provides an opportunity for the new state administration to place its positions on interstate matters before the Union and neighbouring states. River water allocation has historically been a sensitive and politically charged subject in the region, with implications for agriculture, drinking water supplies and hydroelectric projects.
Officials said the meeting comes at a time when fresh engagement between state and Central leadership is expected to shape collaborative approaches to cross-border infrastructure, resource sharing and law-and-order coordination.
"The council serves as an excellent forum for resolving issues and disputes between the Centre and the member States/Union Territories," the Union government said in an official release.
Logistics and local context
The meeting venue, a seaside resort at Kovalam in Chengalpattu district, is on the southern periphery of Chennai and chosen for its proximity to the city. The choice of a coastal location also positions the event close to heritage sites such as Mamallapuram, which Amit Shah is expected to visit following the council's deliberations.
State officials declined to elaborate on the detailed agenda or any bilateral conversations that may have been held during the courtesy call. Formal outcomes will normally be reflected in the council's communiqué after the meeting concludes.
As the newly sworn-in chief minister begins engagements with central leaders and neighbouring states, the Kovalam meeting will be among the first high-profile multilateral platforms to test consensus-building on issues that have long animated politics and policy in South India.
Reporting from Chennai.
