Chennai/Delhi, May 23, 2025 – Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M.K. Stalin is set to attend the NITI Aayog Governing Council meeting for the first time, marking a significant political moment amid rising expectations around state-centre relations. Stalin departed for New Delhi at 9:30 AM today to participate in the high-level meeting scheduled for Saturday under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi at Rashtrapati Bhavan.
During his visit, the Chief Minister will be staying at the Tamil Nadu House in Delhi. Sources indicate that he will hold discussions with IAS and IPS officers from Tamil Nadu who are currently serving in the national capital. Additionally, he is expected to meet senior Congress leaders Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi to deliberate on finalizing seat-sharing and alliance arrangements for the upcoming 2026 elections.
Stalin is also likely to consult with Tamil Nadu’s legal team regarding several pending petitions in the Supreme Court that concern the state government.
At the NITI Aayog meeting, CM Stalin is expected to press for the release of pending central funds, particularly those related to the education sector and other state development projects. He is also anticipated to raise critical issues concerning Centre-State relations, including the role and conduct of state Governors—an issue that has remained contentious in recent years.
On the sidelines of the event, the Tamil Nadu CM is likely to engage in discussions with fellow opposition leaders and INDIA bloc counterparts, including West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, Kerala CM Pinarayi Vijayan, Telangana CM Revanth Reddy, and Karnataka CM Siddaramaiah. He is also expected to meet his long-time political associate, Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu.
Following his engagements in the capital, Chief Minister Stalin is scheduled to return to Chennai on Saturday evening. The NITI Aayog Governing Council meeting, which serves as a key policy forum bringing together the Prime Minister, Union Ministers, and Chief Ministers of all states and union territories, is expected to focus on collaborative economic planning and fiscal strategies for the current financial year.
