CHENNAI: The issue of political representation for Tamil Nadu’s fishermen community is surfacing as a key concern ahead of the 2026 Assembly elections, with community leaders accusing the major parties of side-lining them despite their economic strength and electoral relevance.
Tamil Nadu’s 1,076-km coastline, stretching from Tiruvallur to Kanniyakumari, covers 14 coastal districts and makes the State one of India’s leading marine fish producers. According to the State Fisheries Department, TN exported 1.23 lakh metric tonnes of marine products in 2022-23, earning foreign exchange worth Rs 6,957.67 crore.
Yet, leaders said, this contribution has not translated into adequate political representation. Though more than 35 constituencies are considered to have a significant fishermen population, both the DMK and the AIADMK have not fielded enough candidates from the community, they said.
Though known generically as meenavar, the community includes multiple caste groups such as Pattinavar along the Coromandel Coast, Paravar in the Gulf of Mannar region, Mukkuvar in southern districts, and Sembadavar or Parvatha Rajakulam, who are engaged in both inland and coastal fishing. Smaller groups include Arayar, Savalakkarar, and Karaiyar.
Community representatives point out that the DMK’s list of 164 candidates does not include a single nominee from the core marine fishing communities. While the party cites Saidapet candidate Ma Subramanian, critics argue he belongs to the Sembadavar group, largely associated with inland fishing.
The AIADMK, in comparison, has fielded three candidates from fishing backgrounds – D Jayakumar (Royapuram), K Kuppan (Tiruvottiyur) and Raja alias Bhuvanendran (Kurinjipadi). Vijay’s TVK and Seeman’s NTK have named four candidates each from the community across constituencies such as Nagapattinam, Thoothukudi, Tiruvottiyur, Kanniyakumari, Tiruchendur, and Poompuhar. Even so, community leaders said representation remains far below expectations.
Neithal Makkal Katchi leader K Bharathi alleged that the DMK has historically under-represented fishermen both in party positions and electoral nominations, barring isolated cases like Nagapattinam district secretary N Gowthaman. “Out of the 22 fishermen-dominated constituencies the DMK is contesting from, only one ticket has gone to a candidate from the community. The AIADMK, contesting 28 such seats, has fielded only three,” he added.
Indian Fisherman Association president MD Dayalan said fishermen not only influence coastal districts but also at least 10 inland districts. “We have 17 sub-castes, but our political voice remains weak,” he said. “In the 2021 polls, Tiruvottiyur MLA KP Sankar was not given the fisheries portfolio. And he was not even re-nominated in 2026.”
Dayalan also flagged the DMK’s unfulfilled 2021 poll promise to include fishermen communities in the Scheduled Tribes list. “The Bill was not introduced in the Assembly and the promise has been dropped from the latest manifesto,” Bharathi pointed out.
Dr Sunilkumar V, an assistant professor with the political science department of Hindustan University, said internal divisions within the community and fragmented voting patterns diluted their bargaining power. “In Thoothukudi, for instance, the Paravar community largely backs the DMK, but that has not translated into proportional representation,” he said. “Apart from traditional fishing groups, communities such as Mukkulathor in Ramanathapuram and Vanniyar in Thondi are also dependent on fishing for livelihood. While fishermen may not form a majority in most constituencies, they often act as a decisive voting bloc. Any future delimitation exercise can improve their representation if coastal demographics are better reflected.”
With campaigning picking up pace, the demand for a greater political voice is expected to resonate across Tamil Nadu’s coastal belt.
SEATS FOR FISHERS
AIADMK - 3
Congress - 1
TVK - 4
NTK - 4
WITHIN THE PARTIES
TAMILAGA VETTRI KAZHAGAM (TVK)
Nagapattinam – Sukumar
Thoothukudi – Srinath
Tiruvottiyur – Senthilkumar
Killiyoor - Sabin
NAAM TAMILAR KATCHI (NTK)
Kanniyakumari - Jennifer
Tiruchendur - Ophiliya
Poompuhar - Nakulan
Royapuram - Babu Mylon
AIADMK
Tiruvottiyur - K Kuppan
Royapuram - D Jayakumar
Kurinjipadi - Raja (alias) Bhuvanendran