Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) and Pattali Makkal Katchi (PMK) are making all efforts to wrest Villpuram from the AIADMK, which won 10 of the 12 seats in the 2001 Assembly elections and has now fielded candidates in ten constituencies. It has allotted one each to its allies, Marumalarchi DMK and Dalit Panthers of India (DPI).

The two districts, which were virtually under the control of DMK and Congress in the 1960s, changed hands when late Chief Minister M G Ramachandran floated the AIADMK in the 1970s.

After MGR's death, the Congress got control, even as the PMK, which came into existence in the 1980s, emerged a new contender.

The AIADMK again swept the polls in 1991 in the two districts, in the sympathy wave following the assassination of former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi. After losing in 1996, the party regained popularity in Villpuram while faring badly in Cuddalore.

Like in the southern districts, the caste factor plays a decisive role in the two districts, dominated by Vanniyas and Dalits. If the southern districts witnessed clashes between Dalits and Thevars, these two districts were prone to Dalit-Vanniya enmity.

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