00:00But let me get you some of the highlights of Chief Minister Vijay's visit to Vijayvada.
00:05Star-packed as it was expected, huge crowds that had gathered,
00:09but ultimately last night during the Vijayvada Utsav is where we saw the camaraderie,
00:15the friendship between Chief Minister Naidu and Chief Minister Vijay.
00:18The question, of course, that will be asked is beyond the optics, the photo ops of what we saw in
00:22Vijayvada,
00:23will we actually see a breakthrough as far as river linking and cooperation of water is concerned
00:28between the two states, and then will other states come on board?
01:01And a crucial water-sharing mission.
01:06Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Joseph Vijay's Vijayvada visit was a mix of fan frenzy,
01:13festive colour and high-stakes diplomacy.
01:19Talapati's Andhra trip had all the makings of a blockbuster.
01:28Chief Minister Vijay's first stop was a sacred Kanaka Durga temple.
01:39Dressed in a traditional shirt and dhoti,
01:43he offered prayers to goddess Kanaka Durga,
01:46with priests welcoming him with Purnakumbham
01:51and performing special rituals.
01:53And all through, fans gathered at every point to catch the glimpse of Vijayvada.
02:02After the spiritual start came the political parlays.
02:06Andhra Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu and Minister Nara Lokesh welcomed Vijayvada.
02:10The exchange of courtesies and gifts made for striking visuals.
02:15Two chief ministers from rival political camps sharing the same frame,
02:20with one cause, to address their state's water concerns.
02:25The leaders discussed the proposed Godavari-Kaveri river linking project
02:29as a long-term response to water scarcity.
02:50Godavari-Kaveri linkage project represents important opportunity for augmenting water resources
02:58in southern states.
03:00I request the government of India to accord priority
03:03and take it up as a national project.
03:07Then came the cultural connect.
03:10At Purnami Ghat, Vijay joined the Vijayvada Utsav celebrations
03:15against the backdrop of the Krishna River,
03:17greeted by cheering fans.
03:19And Talapati struck a chord with his Telugu-speaking host,
03:23briefly addressing the gathering in Telugu.
03:45A Telugu connect, a Tamil sign-off, and a visit that blended spectacle with substance.
03:52And this may signal a first-of-a-kind cooperation between southern states on water.
03:59As Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar has been invited by Chief Minister Naidu
04:03to Vijayvada, too, in the coming days.
04:07The star power may grab the headlines.
04:09But for South India states, the real price is water security.
04:15With Apoorva Jayachandran, Bureau Report, India Today.
