As Kerala gears up for the Assembly election, the State’s fishing community has renewed its call to political parties to address its livelihood concerns. Of the State’s 140 Assembly constituencies, around 40 are coastal, accounting for nearly 30%, making them electorally significant in a landscape often defined by narrow margins.

With the fisheries sector employing nearly 10 lakh workers, all political fronts are keenly watching the community’s priorities. Several factors, including the drop in marine resources, adverse climate change, and spike in operational expenses have upset the sector.

Though the State has made a series of allocations to address the crucial challenges, their timely realisation remains a challenge. According to Fisheries department officials, ₹239 crore was earmarked for fisheries in the 2026-27 State Budget. This was in addition to separate allocations for higher education scholarships, infrastructure development, and relief projects.

However, organisations working for the fisherfolk point to persistent gaps. For many, the yet-to-be-revised assistance to survive during lean seasons remains a grievance. What they seek is the launch of an enhanced direct income support scheme. Better student scholarships for higher education is another demand.

Poor enforcement of rules

Some organisations also pinpoint poor enforcement of rules in the fisheries sector. Abdul Razak, the State general secretary of the Kerala Matsyathozhilali Federation, said the State is yet to come up with strong measures against the use of banned fishing nets. The government has accorded priority to collection of penalties than checking violations, he said.

Irfab Habeeb, a fisherman from Kozhikode and the secretary of the Matsya Thozhilali Congress, sought immediate action to impound boats that use banned nets. He said boats impounded in such cases should not be released at any cost. He also highlighted the poor infrastructure at many harbours.

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Jackson Pollayil, the State president of the Kerala Swathanthra Matsyathozhilali Federation, demanded a price-fixing mechanism with government support to ensure fair returns. He also sought the creation of a coastal development authority, and emphasised the need to safeguard fisherfolk’s right over marine resources.

Striking a different note, N.P. Radhakrishnan of the Bharatiya Matsya Pravarthaka Sanghom and former member of the National Fisheries Board said the State should make optimum use of available Central assistance. He pointed out that the reluctance to provide the State’s share amid financial constraints had been hindering several development initiatives.

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A thorough revision of existing rehabilitation projects such as Punargeham [safe alternative housing scheme for those living very close to the sea] is crucial to meet their livelihood needs, according to coastal families in Kozhikode. They pointed out that an integrated approach combining housing with better access to work premises should be adopted. Other complaints are lack of affordable boat repair yards and poor options for value-added product manufacturing units .

Leaders of major political fronts hinted that many of the demands would make their way into election manifestos.

Manjeswaram, one of Kerala’s most closely watched Assembly constituencies known for razor-thin margins, is headed for yet another tight contest in the Assembly election scheduled on April 9, 2026.

Bordering Karnataka, the constituency has largely remained a stronghold of the Indian Union Muslim League, an alliance partner of the United Democratic Front (UDF). Since the first election in 1957, the IUML has maintained dominance in the constituency, except during 1970 and 1977 (M. Ramappa), 1980 and 1982 (A. Subbarao), and 2006 (C.H. Kunjambu) when Left Democratic Front (LDF) candidates won from the segment.

The Bharatiya Janata Party began making inroads into the constituency in 1987 when H. Shankara Alva finished second, pushing the LDF to the third spot. The party’s position improved since 2011 when K. Surendran contested in the constituency. The segment has been drawing Statewide attention since 2016 when Mr. Surendran lost by a thin margin of 89 votes to IUML’s P.B. Abdul Razak. Though he did not contest in the 2019 bypoll, the party brought Mr. Surendran back to the fray in 2021 as in the 2019 bypoll the party’ vote share had reduced considerably. The BJP’s decision to field him once again has raised hopes among the party supporters as there was near parity in votes between the two fronts in the 2021 Assembly election.

However, the BJP faces a stiff challenge from incumbent MLA and UDF candidate A.K.M. Ashraf who enjoys considerable local support. Recent electoral trends seem to favour the UDF. In the latest local body elections, the UDF secured around 47% vote share in the constituency, increasing the gap with the National Democratic Alliance’s (NDA) vote share, which polled about 31%.

The constituency comprises eight panchayats—Enmakaje, Kumbla, Mangalpady, Manjeswaram, Meenja, Paivalike, Puthige and Vorkady. Both the UDF and the NDA have already begun election preparations in the constituency. While the LDF does not seem to have a strong winning edge in the constituency, its vote share is likely to play a decisive role in determining the outcome.

The LDF has fielded Communist Party of India (Marxist) district secretariat member K.R. Jayanandan in a constituency where even slender shifts in vote share could prove decisive.

SDPI stance

Seeking to regain relevance, the Social Democratic Party of India (SDPI) had proposed that it would back the LDF if it fielded Shanavas Padhoor, the former vice-president of the Kasaragod district panchayat, as an Independent candidate. With no positive response from the LDF, the SDPI is considering to field its own candidate in Manjeswaram for the first time. Party leaders claim that the SDPI has around 7,000 votes in the constituency. The decision marks a shift from the party’s earlier strategy of not fielding candidates in the constituency, largely to prevent the BJP from gaining ground. Local SDPI leaders say the move follows dissatisfaction among cadres who believe that the party’s growth has been restricted by the IUML leadership in the constituency.

In the 2020 local body elections, the SDPI won two wards in the Manjeswaram grama panchayat, polling a total of 1,860 votes. It had contested in eight wards then. In the 2025 local body polls, it contested in 13 wards in the panchayat and won two. It nearly doubled its vote share securing 3,617 votes altogether, reflecting a growing vote base but limited electoral success.

New developments have begun to complicate the political arithmetic in the constituency.

Konkani Christians

A section of the Konkani Latin Christian community has floated the idea of fielding an Independent candidate, citing the failure of successive governments led by the UDF and the LDF to recognise them as Latin Catholics for reservation benefits. According to leaders of the Konkani Latin Christian Association, about 7,000 members of the community live in Manjeswaram. Unlike other Latin Catholics in Kerala, they are yet to receive the Other Backward Classes status and the associated 4% reservation in government jobs and educational institutions. While discussions within the community are ongoing, opinions remain divided over whether contesting the election would benefit their cause.

However, with smaller groups such as the SDPI, Independent candidates and sections of the Konkani Christian community signalling independent moves, their votes could become decisive in a constituency where victory margins are traditionally narrow. Any fragmentation of the votes could significantly influence the outcome in what is expected to be one of Kerala’s closest electoral battles.