Royapuram constituency is one of the smallest constituencies in terms of land and population, comprised of localities such as Old Washermenpet, Royapuram and Basin Bridge.
A stronghold of the AIADMK party, Royapuram is developing fast as a commercial space. “A majority of the old-timers among the Royapuram electorate work in the Railways or the Port Trust. But with the flourishing of the export business and go-downs, members of the Marwadi and Muslim communities have also begun to settle here,” said Monish Kumar, a trader and a long-time resident of the constituency.
It is one of the least developed constituencies, characterised by a marked absence of basic amenities such as an adequate number of ATMs, wide roads and drinking water.
Voter base (2016)
- Total number of voters: 121262 (excluding postal votes)
- Male Voters: 61060
- Female voters: 60194
- Third gender: 8
Polling percentage: 63.57%
Read More: Royapuram: Industrial pollution and traffic congestion remain top concerns
Incumbent MLA
- Name: Jayakumar D. Jayakumar was elected from the Royapuram constituency in 1996, 2001, 2006, 2011 and 2016.
- Party: AIADMK
- Age: 55
- Address: Kathavilakkam 10, Lalith castio south street,raja anna malaipuram,santhome,chennai-600028.
- Name enrolled as Voter in: Mylapore (Tamil Nadu) constituency , at Serial no 327 in Part no 247
- Contact Number: 9282102950
- Profession: Advocate
- No criminal cases
Source: Myneta.info
2016 election results
| CANDIDATE | PARTY | VOTES | STATUS |
| Jayakumar D. | AIADMK | 55,205 | Won |
| Manohar R. | INC | 47,174 | Lost |
| Syed Rafi Basha H. | SDPI | 4,345 | Lost |
| Jamelaa M.R | BJP | 3,562 | Lost |
| Biju Chacko | TMC(M) | 3,191 | Lost |
| Anandha Raj B. | NTK | 2,387 | Lost |
| Perumal T.S. | PMK | 2,126 | Lost |
Promises made
Of the many promises made by D Jayakumar, enhancing greenery, laying wide roads and taking steps to reduce traffic congestion are a few say residents of the area. “The MLA has held many tree planting campaigns in the past, but due to the lack of follow-up, they were a failure. No efforts were taken to ease the congestion on the roads,” said Raj Kumar, a resident.
In the news
- D Jayakumar also holds the portfolio of Fisheries Minister. He was recently in the news when he announced that the state government has taken various steps to safeguard the fishing boats of southern coastal districts ahead of the next cyclone, following the warning of Indian Meteorological Department (IMD).
- An FIR was registered against D Jayakumar before the 2016 elections for allegedly paying voters during his campaign.
- While campaigning in the constituency recently, he is reported to have said that the alliance led by his party will come back to power with a thumping win.
Know your candidates
| S. No | Name | Party | Age | Occupation | No of criminal cases |
| 1 | Murthy.R.Idream | DMK | 54 | Business | None |
| 2 | Jayakumar D | AIADMK | 60 | Advocate | None |
| 3 | James Martin | Tamil Nadu Ilangyar Katchi | 33 | Guest lecturer & Business | None |
| 4 | Kumar S | Bahujan Samaj party | 43 | Driver | None |
| 5 | Mohan A | Tippu Sultan Party | 49 | Advocate | None |
| 6 | Ramajayam C | AMMK | 57 | civil contractor | None |
| 7 | Gunasekaran S | Independent | 65 | Business | None |
| 8 | Suganthan T | Independent | 25 | Not updated | Not updated |
| 9 | Karunakaran H | Independent | 42 | Lawyer | None |
| 10 | Karthick V | Independent | 26 | Lawyer | None |
| 11 | Prabhakaran V | Independent | 40 | Logistics | None |
| 12 | Dinakaran S | Independent | 47 | Advocate | None |
| 13 | Prasath K | Independent | 39 | Business | None |
| 14 | Sathish S | Independent | 41 | Lawyer | None |
| 15 | Chellappan T | Independent | 40 | Fisherman | None |
| 16 | Dhanasekaran G | Independent | 50 | Advocate | None |
| 17 | Gokul G | Independent | 30 | Lawyer | None |
| 18 | Vindhan A | Independent | 35 | Advocate | None |
| 19 | Murthy T C S | Independent | 45 | Advocate | None |
| 20 | Selvakumar J | Independent | 44 | Business | None |
| 21 | Velu G | Independent | 48 | Lawyer | None |
| 22 | Prabhu D | Independent | 32 | Advocate | None |
| 23 | S Sundarapandian | Independent | 39 | Driver | None |
| 24 | Kamali S | Independent | 43 | Textile business | None |
| 25 | Kalidass K R | Independent | 29 | Lawyer | None |
| 26 | Subramani S N | Independent | 50 | Advocate | None |
Issues in the constituency
Due to the presence of industries, the constituency faces unavoidable problems such as air pollution. However, there are also the most basic issues in the constituency ranging from narrow roads (so narrow that the candidates use auto rickshaws for the election campaign) to lack of greenery.
- The delayed construction of Elephant gate bridge results in one of the worst traffic congestions in Basin Bridge. The bridge construction work missed many deadlines and the non-operational Elephant gate bridge makes the residents of Basin Bridge take a detour to reach the interior parts of the city.
- Regardless of seasons and the good levels of water in our reservoirs, residents of Old Washermanpet have no access to clean water. Water in their pipelines supplied by the Chennai Metro Water department is dark and smelly. “We get piped water at 5.30 am once every two or three days. Water is contaminated with sewage. Despite many complaints to the department, the issue remains unsolved,” says M Murugan, a potter and a resident of Old Washermenpet.
- Most parts of the constituency have no proper sewage network. “Forget having sufficient sewage treatment plants, most residences have no proper sewage connections. Raw sewage on the roads (Sholaippan Street, for example) is a common sight,” Murugan said.
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