Tamil Nadu polls: AIADMK’s D Jayakumar eyes comeback in Royapuram after DMK wrested seat in 2021 | India News
New Delhi: North Chennai’s Raipuram assembly constituency has emerged as a key political battleground ahead of the April 23 Tamil Nadu assembly elections, scheduled to be counted on May 4. Considered an AIADMK stronghold under veteran leader D Jayakumar for more than three decades, Royapuram went to the DMK in 2021 when Idrim R Murthy reshaped its political landscape with a decisive victory. For the upcoming elections, DMK has fielded orthopedic surgeon Dr A Subair Khan, son of late party leader A Rahman Khan, to hold the seat. He faces a tough challenge from six-time MLA Jayakumar, who is seeking to reclaim his former base, based on his long-standing ties with the coastal community as a former fisheries minister. Jayakumar was the runner-up in 2021, losing to Murthy, who won with 53.16% of the votes and a margin of over 27,000 votes. In 2016, Jayakumar won the seat with 55,205 votes and a margin of 6.57%. The competition also features actor-politician Vijay’s TVK TV Somu and NTK’s Babumaylon Raipuram: Home of the fishing community Raipuram has historically been a working-class hub, home to fishing communities, port workers and petty traders. For many residents, particularly fishermen, electoral concerns go beyond visibility, focusing on livelihood issues such as better access to markets and stable incomes. The constituency also has significant urban challenges. Residents are frequent visitors. These issues have made infrastructure and environmental health central to the current election discourse.(with ANI input)
