CHENNAI: Eyeing for the fishing community vote bank, which is a deciding factor in at least 15 coastal wards, all political parties including the DMK, AIADMK, and BJP have been thronging these wards with rigorous campaigns and promises. Some of the parties like the Naam Tamilar Katchi have fielded full-time fishermen against powerful candidates.
The coastal wards start all from the northern fringes of Ennore (ward 1), where the corporation limits begin and ends on the southern periphery of Neelankarai (ward 192). The community has elected and defeated MLAs and ministers in the past, including former ministers KP Samy and, much recently, D Jayakumar, who lost after 20 years, losing major chunk of the fishermen votes in Kasimedu and Royapuram.
