Table of contents
Royapuram is constituency number 17 in Chennai, located in the northern part of the city along the Coromandel Coast. It falls under the Chennai North Lok Sabha constituency. The constituency covers areas including Royapuram, Old Washermenpet, Mottai Garden, and parts of Kasimedu, and is home to Royapuram Railway Station, the first railway station of South India and the oldest surviving railway station in the country, opened in 1856.
The constituency has deep roots as a coastal fishing settlement, with communities dependent on the sea for generations. Royapuram fishing harbour continues to serve fishing boats today. As per the 2011 census, the total population is around 2.64 lakh, with SC communities accounting for 17.52% of the population.
Political Representation
This is a general category constituency
Candidates for 2026 polls
A total of 28 candidates are contesting for the seat in Royapuram constituency. AIADMK’s D Jayakumar has won 5 elections in the same constituency since 1991. However he lost to DMK’s Murthy R. Idream in 2021. While Jayakumar returns hoping to win back power in Royapuram, DMK has fielded Dr A Subair Khan, son of late party leader A Rahman Khan to retain the seat.
NTK’s A Babu Mailan and TVK’s KV Vijay Damu are running for the Royapuram seat.
Top candidates
| 2026 | Candidate | Sex | Party | Age | Link to Affidavit |
| 1 | Dr. A. Subair Khan | Male | DMK | 49 | Download Here |
| 2 | D. Jayakumar | Male | AIADMK | 65 | Download Here |
| 3 | A. Babu Mailan | Male | NTK | 54 | Download Here |
| 4 | K.V. Vijay Damu | Male | TVK | 46 | Download Here |
All candidate details can be found at ECI here.
2021 Polling Snapshot
Total number of voters: 1,21,510
Male Voters: 60,143
Female voters: 60,458
Others: 5
Polling percentage: 63.08%
Source: Election Commission of India
Previous Results: 2021
| 2021 | Candidate | Sex | Party | Age | Votes polled (Share of vote %) |
| 1 | Murthy.R.Idream | Male | DMK | 54 | 53.16% |
| 2 | Jayakumar. D | Male | ADMK | 60 | 30.24% |
| 3 | Gunasekaran.S | Male | MNM | 65 | 6.74% |
Source: Election Commission of India
Previous Results: 2016
| 2016 | Candidate | Sex | Party | Age | Votes polled (Share of vote %) |
| 1 | Jayakumar D | M | ADMK | 55 | 45.21% |
| 2 | Manohar R | M | INC | 50 | 38.63% |
| 3 | Syed Rafi Basha H | M | SDPI | 37 | 3.56% |
Source: Election Commission of India
Incumbent MLA: Murthy R.Idream
Murthy R. Idream is a businessman and owner of iDream Cinemas in Royapuram. He contested his first ever election in 2021 as a DMK candidate and won, defeating five-time winner D. Jayakumar of the AIADMK by a margin of 27,779 votes. He holds no ministerial position and has focused on constituency-level work.
MLA profile
Age:54
Educational qualification: 10th Pass
Contact details:
Phone: 98411 19353
Mail: mlaroyapuram@tn.gov.in
Criminal records: 0
Social media presence:
Instagram – @idream_murthy
X – @idream_murthy
Source: myNeta.info
MLA in the media
Royapuram is part of broader North Chennai transport improvements, including temporary terminals handling thousands of daily passengers. MLA Murthy asserted that around Rs 2,000 crores have been spent on 50-plus schemes.
Key citizen demands
Royapuram’s low-lying neighbourhoods face waterlogging even during moderate rainfall. Fishing families in the coastal lanes have long sought upgraded housing, reliable drinking water, and compensation for losses from industrial discharges into the Buckingham Canal. Children’s rights groups from the constituency submitted demands to candidates ahead of the 2026 elections calling for regular desilting of the Buckingham Canal, paediatric specialists in PHCs, and access to nutritious meals.
A newly built bus terminus meant to ease congestion is still non-operational, raising concerns about planning inefficiencies.