Chennai: Prime Minister Narendra Modi today met Tamil Nadu Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa over lunch at her Poes Garden residence here, a significant development seen in the backdrop of NDA's push to garner support for its key economic reforms bills in Parliament which is witnessing a logjam.
The Prime Minister first launched the National Handloom Day celebrations at the University of Madras here and then drove straight to the Chief Minister's residence where she warmly welcomed him at the doorstep.
Sources said the AIADMK leader had invited the Prime Minister for lunch, which he accepted.
During the discussions, she is understood to have taken up issues concerning Tamil Nadu including inter-state river disputes with Karnataka and Kerala and presented a memorandum.
The meeting assumes significance in the wake of AIADMK's broad support to the Modi government on the NDA's controversial Land Acquisition Bill in the Lok Sabha although Jayalalithaa had raised some reservations on it citing farmers' concerns ahead of its passage in the Rajya Sabha.
AIADMK has 37 members in the Lok Sabha and 11 in the Upper House.
Earlier in day, Jayalalithaa had welcomed Modi at the airport.
During his address at the function where Jayalalithaa was not present, the Prime Minister thanked "Dr Jayalalithaa", the state government and the people of Tamil Nadu for successfully organising the event.
Later, a state government release said the Prime Minister and the state chief minister discussed several issues of national concern.
The meeting lasted 50 minutes, it said.
This was Modi's maiden visit to the AIADMK supremo's residence.
While the BJP's state unit has differences with the ruling AIADMK on many issues including liquor and law and order, Jayalalithaa and Modi are known to have shared cordial ties.
Modi, as Gujarat Chief Minister in 2011 had attended the swearing-in ceremony of Jayalalithaa when her party captured power in the elections.
The AIADMK supremo had reciprocated when when she attended his swearing-in ceremony as Gujarat Chief Minister after winning the 2012 Assembly polls.
