The Tamil Nadu Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has accused Chief Minister C Joseph Vijay of compromising the state's rights regarding the contentious Mekedatu dam issue by allotting a Rajya Sabha seat to Congress. BJP state chief spokesperson Narayanan Thirupathy claimed that Karnataka Chief Minister D K Shivakumar is reigniting tensions over the Mekedatu project to distract from internal issues within the Congress party. Thirupathy criticized Vijay for not condemning the Karnataka government’s actions regarding the dam, labeling his silence as a betrayal of Tamil Nadu's interests. He further alleged that Vijay's decision to support Congress for the Rajya Sabha seat exposes his desperation to align with the party, which is advancing the Mekedatu project. The project, which aims to supply drinking water to Bengaluru and generate 400 MW of power, has faced opposition from Tamil Nadu due to concerns over water sharing from the Cauvery river. The controversy intensified following Shivakumar's welcome of the Supreme Court's dismissal of Tamil Nadu's review petition against the Mekedatu project, as Karnataka prepares to submit a revised Detailed Project Report.