A proposal to make Madurai the second capital of Tamil Nadu was made to Chief Minister Edappadi K Palaniswami & Deputy Chief Minister O Panneerselvam by the state minister for Revenue and Disaster Management RB Udhaya Kumar on August 16. The minister said that the move will provide opportunities for industrial development and economic and employment growth in the southern districts of the state. The idea of a second capital for Tamil Nadu has surfaced with many people vouching for Madurai to be the second capital. A consultative meeting of the Madurai West district AIADMK was held in Thirumangalam in Madurai on August 16. Justifying the demand, Udhaya Kumar says cities down South are 5-10 years behind Chennai in terms of development. A day after Madurai AIADMK camp passed a resolution seeking Madurai as the second capital of Tamil Nadu, a similar demand was put forward by their counterparts in Trichy to name it as the second capital. Even as AIADMK founder MGR had initiated efforts to make Trichy as the second capital since the 1980s, the swing in choice of location has disappointed AIADMK cadres. Demand placed by Madurai AIADMK unit has caused an uproar on social media platforms too.