Politics

Cauvery row heats up in Tamil Nadu Assembly as Vijay, Udhayanidhi clash over Mekedatu

The Mekedatu dam row sparks a fresh political battle in Tamil Nadu as Vijay and Udhayanidhi Stalin trade barbs over Karnataka

PGurus Newsdesk

August 7, 2026

Vijay defends dialogue with Karnataka as Udhayanidhi demands stronger action against the Mekedatu dam project.

Udhayanidhi seeks an all-party response while Vijay argues that talks with Karnataka cannot be ruled out

The long-running Cauvery water dispute spilled into the Tamil Nadu Assembly on Friday, with Chief Minister C Joseph Vijay and Leader of Opposition Udhayanidhi Stalin trading sharp barbs over Karnataka’s proposed Mekedatu dam project.

Udhayanidhi accused the Vijay-led government of failing to do enough to prevent Karnataka from moving ahead with the controversial project and demanded that the Chief Minister explain the steps taken to safeguard Tamil Nadu’s water interests.

Vijay hit back, pointing out that the Tamil Nadu Assembly had already passed a resolution opposing the Mekedatu project and that he had written to Prime Minister Narendra Modi seeking action against the proposal.

Vijay defends talks with Karnataka

The exchange intensified when Udhayanidhi questioned the government’s reported plan to hold talks with Karnataka and its opposition to convening an all-party meeting on the issue.

Udhayanidhi argued that Karnataka had managed to bring its political parties together over the project and questioned why Tamil Nadu could not adopt a similar approach.

He also raised questions over reports that Vijay was planning to visit Bengaluru to discuss the issue with the Karnataka government. Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar had earlier asked Vijay to postpone such a visit, citing the heightened tensions surrounding the Cauvery dispute.

Vijay, however, defended his willingness to engage with Karnataka, saying dialogue should not be dismissed simply because it could carry political risks.

The Chief Minister said he was prepared to face humiliation if that was the price of attempting to resolve the dispute in the interests of Tamil Nadu.

Vijay turns the attack back on DMK

Vijay also sought to turn the criticism towards the DMK, pointing out that the party’s government in 1969 had initially allowed the Karnataka project.

The exchange reflects the growing political significance of the Mekedatu issue in Tamil Nadu, where the ruling TVK and opposition DMK are competing to project themselves as the stronger defenders of the state’s Cauvery interests.

Udhayanidhi has demanded a united political response, while Vijay has maintained that his government is already taking institutional and legal steps against the proposed dam.

Why Mekedatu remains a flashpoint

The proposed Mekedatu reservoir is planned across the Cauvery in Karnataka. The project is intended to provide drinking water to Bengaluru and generate around 400 MW of electricity. Karnataka has maintained that the project would not affect Tamil Nadu’s allocated share of Cauvery water.

Tamil Nadu, however, has consistently opposed the project, arguing that a reservoir upstream could affect water flows to the state.

The dispute has intensified again in recent weeks, with Karnataka pushing ahead with preparations for a revised Detailed Project Report and Tamil Nadu stepping up its opposition. Vijay had also written to the Prime Minister opposing the project and questioned the Centre’s handling of Karnataka’s proposal.

For now, the Mekedatu dispute has become more than a Karnataka-Tamil Nadu water battle. It is also emerging as a major political contest within Tamil Nadu, with Vijay and Udhayanidhi Stalin seeking to establish who can claim the mantle of protecting the state’s Cauvery interests.

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