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Rahul Gandhi discusses ‘political issues’ with Vijay
In Short
Gandhi was closeted with Vijay for about an hour, and they discussed several political issues.
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Chennai: Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Saturday met TVK president and Tamil Nadu Chief Minister C Joseph Vijay at his suburban Neelankarai residence, party sources said. Gandhi was closeted with Vijay for about an hour, and they discussed several political issues. Later, they visited Bask by Coffee, a cafe in the neighbourhood and reportedly had a Cappuccino, Tiramisu, cookies and coffee.
Neelankarai is a posh, quiet locality pretty close to the beach near the East Coast Road on the city outskirts. The Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha then proceeded to a hotel in the city. In the evening, Gandhi travelled to the sprawling Island Grounds here for the youth outreach programme, ‘Chhatron Ki Goonj,’ (Maanavargalin Kural) event.
According to a police official, access to the ‘Chhatron Ki Goonj’ is restricted to QR code entry, segregating gender entry corridors and completely excluding the general public from the event to ensure law and order control. Though there is no official statement on their meetings, party sources reveal that the two leaders discussed cementing long-term political cooperation within their newly formed state alliance.
The conversations touched upon structural alignment and coordinating governance policies between the Congress and the ruling TVK administration, and also focused on youth-centric issues such as unemployment, education reforms, and local opposition to the NEET examination. The conversation also touched upon opposition to Special Intensive Revision (SIR) exercise and allegations of voter roll discrepancies.
Following the interaction, both Rahul Gandhi and Vijay stepped out of his Neelankarai residence together and instead of parting at the gates, they chose to walk together surrounded by a heay multi-tier security, and a large cheering supporters, a senior functionary in the TVK said.
Later, speaking to reporters TNCC chief Manickam Tagore said the Vijay-led Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam was part of the India alliance. “The TVK is already part of the India bloc. There is no need for a formal, separate announcement regarding their entry, as the alliance’s growth and cooperation in Tamil Nadu are already evident,” Tagore said.
