TAMIL NADU: Miffed fishermen to field their own candidates

By G Saravanan

Published in The New Indian Express, Chennai, on March 23, 2011:

Link:http://expressbuzz.com/polls2011/tn/miffed-fishermen-to-field-their-own-candidates/258860.html

CHENNAI: With the major political parties in the state nominating very few candidates from the fishing community to contest in the State Assembly elections at fishermen-dominated 13 coastal districts, the Federation of All Fishermen Unions-TN has now planned to field their own candidates to register the community's resentment with them.

While the AIADMK allocated tickets to four candidates from fishing community - Tiruvotriyur (Kuppan), Royapuram (Jayakumar), Nagapattinam (Jayapaul) and Colachel (Lawrence) - only one person from the community (K P P Samy - Tiruvotriyur) found place in the DMK's list.

According to sources, the federation, which has a support of over 20 influential fishermen welfare associations from across the coastal districts, has planned to field their candidates in the 39 (coastal) Assembly segments, where the community claims to have a solid vote bank and both AIADMK and DMK often bank on them for their candidates' victory.

It is reliably learnt that S A Mahesh, the president of All Indian Traditional Fishermen Association and coordinator of the federation, is filing his nomination at Killiyur Assembly constituency, which has the largest number of voters from fishing community in the State.

Ironically, both the AIADMK and the BJP have fielded their candidates from the Nadar community in the seat, whereas the local fishermen wished for a candidate from their community, as it has the largest voter base.The Congress, which has been allocated the seat, is yet to announce its candidate.

ADD (Congress on Wednesday nominated its sitting MLA John Jacob to the seat, who is again from the Nadar community.)

Of the total two lakh-odd voters in the constituency, about 82,000 are from the fishing community and Nadar community here is divided on religious lines.
Confirming his candidature to Express at Killiyur constituency, Mahesh said that he would be filing his nomination here as the federation-backed independent candidate in the coming days as not a single party has thought of fielding fishing community candidate for the important seat.