Battlelines have been clearly drawn in Cuddalore Parliamentary constituency where a three-cornered fight is in the offing between the Congress, the PMK and the Desiya Murpokku Dravida Kazhagam (DMDK). The Naam Tamilar Katchi is also in the fray.
The Congress has fielded its sitting MP from Arani Lok Sabha constituency M.K. Vishnu Prasad, while the PMK has put its faith in film director Thankar Bachan and the DMDK former Panruti MLA P. Sivakolunthu is in the fray again. Notably, all hail from one of the the dominant communities in the region - Vanniyars. Mr. Vishnu Prasad is the brother-in-law of PMK president Anbumani Ramadoss.
The constituency, comprises the Assembly constituencies of Thittagudi (Reserved) - DMK, Vriddhachalam (Congress), Neyveli (DMK), Panruti (DMK), Cuddalore (DMK) and Kurunjipadi (DMK), has 14,12,746 voters, which included 6,93,353 men, 7,19,178 women and 215 others. Tamizhaga Vazhvurimai Katchi founder T. Velmurugan contested the 2021 Assembly elections from Panruti on the DMK symbol.