CM Vijay's Cauvery talks plan with Karnataka sparks political row in TN

Tamil Nadu Chief Minister C Joseph Vijay has proposed bilateral talks with his Karnataka counterpart to seek an amicable solution to the long-standing Cauvery river water-sharing dispute, a move that has drawn criticism from farmers' organisations and political parties in the state. Vijay is scheduled to visit the neighbouring state on August 3 for talks with Karnataka Chief Minister D K Shivakumar. Vijay has written to Shivakumar seeking an appointment in Bengaluru, and the latter has agreed to the meeting.
Former Chief Minister M G Ramachandran had held direct talks with Karnataka in the late 1970s and 1980s, drawing on his personal rapport and political goodwill to secure the immediate release of water outside the judicial process. His unannounced visits, breaking political convention, helped Tamil Nadu secure water, sources said.
Confirming the development, Tamil Nadu Agriculture Minister R Vinoth told reporters on Friday in Kumbakonam, “Karnataka has extended an official invitation to the Chief Minister (Vijay) to visit the state.” On the Mekedatu dam project, Vinoth reiterated Tamil Nadu’s firm stand. “We have maintained this stand all along. We will never allow it to be constructed,” he said.
This will be the first visit by a Tamil Nadu CM to Karnataka for bilateral talks on the Cauvery issue in several years. The previous DMK government, despite being allied with the Congress, had maintained that bilateral talks with Karnataka would not yield results and that the issue should be resolved through legal means.Sources said Vijay hopes to make progress on the Cauvery issue before the government’s maiden Budget session begins on August 5.
Arguing that negotiations outside the statutory framework would bypass the legal mechanism established by the Supreme Court, the Tamil Nadu Cauvery Farmers Association, led by P R Pandian, urged Vijay to press the Centre to secure the release of 27.5 TMC ft of water from Karnataka, a demand earlier raised by DMK president M K Stalin. PMK leader Anbumani Ramadoss also opposed any talks with Karnataka on the Mekedatu dam project.
Between June 1 and July 22, 2026, Tamil Nadu received only 3.5 TMC ft of water against the 31 TMC ft it was entitled to under the Supreme Court-mandated schedule. On July 22, the CWMA deferred a decision on Tamil Nadu’s demand for the immediate release of water and referred the matter to the CWRC, which has been tasked with working out a pro-rata water-sharing formula at its meeting on July 28, sources said.