Chennai: Expressing support to the cyclone Ockhi-affected fishermen of Kanyakumari district, the fishermen associations have appealed to their men who are “solid traditional vote bank” in the R. K. Nagar Assembly constituency to vote against the AIADMK candidate in the December 21 by-poll.
Raising several issues confronting the fishers including hundreds of deep sea fishermen who perished at sea when Ockhi lashed the Kanyakumari coast on Nov. 30, the South Indian Fishermen Welfare Association said scores of fishermen who set out to the sea to fish, still remained untraced.
“Over 500 fishermen are missing and those responsible for this situation and for the loss of lives at sea, should be taught a befitting lesson in this by-poll,” the association leaders said.
“The fishermen's votes, which account for about 55,000 spread across 20 villages in R. K. Nagar are the deciding factor that could tilt the scales in favour of a particular party. In the past we have voted for the AIADMK, but now owing the problems faced by our families due to cyclone Ockhi we have decided to appeal our people to ponder and vote against the AIADMK,” says South Indian Fishermen Welfare Association president K Bharathi.
