Legislature of Tamil Nadu
Encyclopedia
The Tamil Nadu Legislative Assembly is the sole house of the unicameral Tamil Nadu Legislature
. The Tamil Nadu Legislative Assembly alone has powers to legislate laws covering state subjects in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu
. It has a strength of 235 members of whom 234 are democratically elected using the First-past-the-post
system. The remaining member is nominated as a representative of the Anglo Indian community
. The presiding officer of the Assembly is called the Speaker. The term of the Assembly is five years unless it is dissolved earlier.
Since Tamil Nadu has a unicameral legislature, the term Tamil Nadu Legislature and Tamil Nadu Legislative Assembly are almost synonymous and are often confused. However they are not one and the same. The Tamil Nadu Legislature is the legislative body while the Tamil Nadu Legislative Assembly is a part of it. The Tamil Nadu Legislative Assembly along with the Governor of Tamil Nadu, constitutes the Tamil Nadu Legislature.
The present State of Tamil Nadu is a residuary part of the erstwhile Madras Presidency
and was formerly known as Madras State
. The first legislature of any sort for the Presidency was the Madras Legislative Council
which was set up as a non representative advisory body in 1861. In 1919, direct elections were introduced with the introduction of Diarchy
under the Government of India Act of 1919
. Between 1920-1937, the Legislative Council was an unicameral legislature for the Madras Presidency
. The Government of India Act of 1935
abolished dyarchy and created a bicameral
legislature in the Madras Presidency. The Legislative Assembly became the Lower House
of the Presidency.
After the Republic of India was established in 1950, the Madras Presidency became the Madras State and the bicameral setup continued. The Madras State's assembly strength was 375 and the first assembly was constituted in 1952. The current state was formed in 1956 after the reorganisation of states and strength of the assembly was reduced to 206. Its strength was increased to the present 235 in 1965. Madras State was renamed as Tamil Nadu in 1969 and subsequently the assembly came to be called as "Tamil Nadu Legislative Assembly". The Legislative Council was abolished in 1986, making the legislature an unicameral body and the assembly, its sole chamber.
The present fourteenth Legislative Assembly, was constituted on 16 May 2011. It was constituted after the assembly election of 2011, which resulted in the All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam
(AIADMK) led front winning and forming the government. The next election should take place around 2016. The election can take place much earlier if the government is dismissed by the central government and President's rule
is proclaimed.
in 1861. First established as a non representative advisory body, it saw the introduction of elected members in 1892. The Indian Councils Act 1909 (popularly called as "Minto-Morley Reforms"), officially introduced indirect election of members to the Council. In 1919, direct elections were introduced with the introduction of Diarchy
under the Government of India Act of 1919
. Between 1920-1937, the Legislative Council was an unicameral legislature for the Madras Presidency
. The Government of India Act of 1935
abolished dyarchy and created a bicameral
legislature in the Madras province. The Legislature consisted of the Governor and two Legislative bodies - a Legislative Assembly and a Legislative Council. The Assembly was the lower house and consisted of 215 members, who were further classified into general members and reserved members representing special communities and interests:
The presiding officer of the Assembly was called the Speaker of the Assembly.
for the Presidency was held in February 1937. The Indian National Congress
obtained a majority by winning 159 of 215 seats. C. Rajagopalachari
became the first elected chief minister of the Presidency under the provincial autonomy system guaranteed by the Government of India Act of 1935. The first assembly was constituted in July 1937. Bulusu Sambamurti
and A. Rukmani Lakshmipathi were elected as the Speaker and Deputy Speaker respectively. The first assembly lasted its term till February 1943, but the Congress cabinet resigned in October 1939, protesting India's participation in World War II
. During 1939-46, Madras was under the direct rule of the Governor and no elections were held in 1943 when the assembly's term expired. Next elections were held only in 1946
, when a political compromise was reached between the Congress and viceroy Lord Wavell
. The second assembly of the presidency was constituted in April 1946 and J. Shivashanmugam Pillai
was elected as the speaker. The Congress won an absolute majority in the elections and again formed the Government. On 15 August 1947, India became independent and the new Indian Constitution came into effect on 26 January 1950. Madras Presidency became Madras State
and the existing assembly and the Government were retained till new elections could be held in 1951.
was held in January 1952. According to the Delimitation of Parliamentary and Assembly Constituencies (Madras) Order, 1951, made by the President under sections 6 and 9 of the Representation of the People Act, 1950, the assembly's strength was 375 members elected from 309 constituencies. Out of the 309 constituencies in the undivided Madras State
, 66 were two member constituencies, 62 of which had one seat reserved for Scheduled Caste candidates and 4 for Scheduled Tribe candidates. The two member constituencies were established in accordance to Article 332 of the Indian Constitution
. The voting method and the plurality electoral formula were defined in The Representation of People Act, 1950. These constituencies were larger in size and had greater number of voters (more than 1,00,000) when compared to general constituencies. Multiple members were elected only in the 1952 and 1957 elections as double member representation was abolished in 1961 by the enactment of Two-Member Constituencies Abolition Act (1961). Of the 375 seats, 143 were from what later became Andhra
state, 29 were from Malabar
, 11 from South Canara (part of present day Karnataka
) and the remaining 190 belonged to Tamil Nadu
.
On 1 October 1953, a separate Andhra State consisting of the Telugu speaking areas of the composite Madras State was formed and the Kannada speaking area of Bellary
District was merged with the then Mysore State
. This reduced the strength of the Legislative Assembly to 231. On 1 November 1956, the States Reorganisation Act
took effect and consequently the constituencies in the erstwhile Malabar district
were merged with the Kerala State. This further reduced the strength to 190. The Tamil speaking area of Kerala (present day Kanyakumari
district) and Shenkottah taluk were added to Madras State. According to the new Delimitation of Parliamentary and Assembly Constituencies Order 1956, made by the Delimitation Commission of India under the provisions of the State Reorganisation Act of 1956, the strength of the assembly was increased to 205. The 1957 elections were conducted for these 205 seats. In 1959, as result of The Andhra Pradesh and Madras (Alteration of Boundaries) Act 1959
, one member from the Andhra Pradesh Legislative Assembly was allotted to Madras increasing its Legislative Assembly strength to 206. The 1962 elections were conducted for these 206 seats. In 1965, the elected strength of the assembly was increased to 234 by the Delimitation of Parliamentary and Assembly Constituencies Order, 1965. In addition to the 234, the assembly also has one nominated member representing the Anglo-Indian
community. From 1965, the number of members has remained constant. In 1969, Madras State was renamed Tamil Nadu
and subsequently the assembly came to be known as the "Tamil Nadu Legislative Assembly". The Legislative Council was abolished with effect from 1 November 1986 through an Act of Parliament titled as The Tamil Nadu Legislative Council (Abolition) Act, 1986. With the abolition of the council, the legislature became an unicameral body and remained so for the next 24 years. Of the fourteen assemblies that have been constituted so far, four (the sixth, seventh, ninth and tenth) have been dismissed by the Central Government using Article 356
of the Indian Constitution.
The Legislative Assembly is currently at the Fort St. George, Chennai
. Fort St. George has historically been the seat of the Government of Tamil Nadu
since colonial times. During 1921-37, the precursor to the assembly - Madras Legislative Council, met at the council chambers within the fort. Between 14 July 1937 - 21 December 1938, the assembly met at the Senate House
of the University of Madras
and between 27 January 1938 - 26 October 1939 in the Banqueting Hall (later renamed as Rajaji Hall
) in the Government Estate complex at Mount Road. During 1946-52, it moved back to the Fort St. George. In 1952, the strength of the assembly rose to 375, after the constitution of the first assembly, and it was briefly moved into temporary premises at the government estate complex. This move was made in March 1952, as the existing assembly building only had a seating capacity of 260. Then on 3 May 1952, it moved into the newly constructed assembly building in the same complex. The assembly functioned from the new building (later renamed as "Kalaivanar Arangam") during 1952-56. However with the reorganisation of states and formation of Andhra, the strength came down to 190 and the assembly moved back to Fort St. George in 1956. From December 1956 till January 2010, the Fort remained the home to the assembly. In 2004, during the 12th assembly, the ADMK Government under J. Jayalalitha made unsuccessful attempts to shift the assembly, first to the location of Queen Mary's College and later to the Anna University
campus, Guindy
. Both attempts were withdrawn after public opposition. During the 13th Assembly, the DMK government led by M. Karunanidhi
proposed a new plan to shift the assembly and the government secretariat to the a new building in the Omandurar Government Estate. In 2007, the German architectural firm GMP International won the design competition to design and construct the new assembly complex. Construction began in 2008 and was completed in 2010. The new assembly building was opened and the assembly started functioning in it from March 2010. After ADMK's victory in the 2011 elections, the assembly shifted back to Fort St. George.
List of historical locations where the Tamil Nadu Legislature has been housed:
Tamil Nadu Legislature
The Tamil Nadu Legislature is the unicameral legislature of the Indian state of Tamil Nadu. The Legislature is composed of Tamil Nadu Legislative Assembly and the Governor of Tamil Nadu...
. The Tamil Nadu Legislative Assembly alone has powers to legislate laws covering state subjects in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu
Tamil Nadu
Tamil Nadu is one of the 28 states of India. Its capital and largest city is Chennai. Tamil Nadu lies in the southernmost part of the Indian Peninsula and is bordered by the union territory of Pondicherry, and the states of Kerala, Karnataka, and Andhra Pradesh...
. It has a strength of 235 members of whom 234 are democratically elected using the First-past-the-post
First-past-the-post
First-past-the-post voting refers to an election won by the candidate with the most votes. The winning potato candidate does not necessarily receive an absolute majority of all votes cast.-Overview:...
system. The remaining member is nominated as a representative of the Anglo Indian community
Anglo-Indian
Anglo-Indians are people who have mixed Indian and British ancestry, or people of British descent born or living in India, now mainly historical in the latter sense. British residents in India used the term "Eurasians" for people of mixed European and Indian descent...
. The presiding officer of the Assembly is called the Speaker. The term of the Assembly is five years unless it is dissolved earlier.
Since Tamil Nadu has a unicameral legislature, the term Tamil Nadu Legislature and Tamil Nadu Legislative Assembly are almost synonymous and are often confused. However they are not one and the same. The Tamil Nadu Legislature is the legislative body while the Tamil Nadu Legislative Assembly is a part of it. The Tamil Nadu Legislative Assembly along with the Governor of Tamil Nadu, constitutes the Tamil Nadu Legislature.
The present State of Tamil Nadu is a residuary part of the erstwhile Madras Presidency
Madras Presidency
The Madras Presidency , officially the Presidency of Fort St. George and also known as Madras Province, was an administrative subdivision of British India...
and was formerly known as Madras State
Madras State
Madras State was the name by which the Indian districts in Tamil Nadu, Andhra, Northern Kerala, Bellary and Dakshina Kannada were collectively known as from 1950 to 1953....
. The first legislature of any sort for the Presidency was the Madras Legislative Council
Madras Legislative Council
Tamil Nadu Legislative Council is the upper house of the bicameral legislature of the Indian state of Tamil Nadu. It began its existence as Madras Legislative Council, the first provincial legislature for Madras Presidency. It was initially created as an advisory body in 1861, by the British...
which was set up as a non representative advisory body in 1861. In 1919, direct elections were introduced with the introduction of Diarchy
Diarchy in Madras Presidency
Diarchy was established in Madras Presidency based on the recommendations of the Montague-Chelmsford report. Five elections were held during the period diarchy was in effect and Justice Party occupied power most of the time...
under the Government of India Act of 1919
Government of India Act 1919
-See also:*British India*British Raj*History of Bangladesh*History of India*History of Pakistan*Governor-General of India*Government of India Act*India Office*Montagu-Chelmsford Reforms*Secretary of State for India...
. Between 1920-1937, the Legislative Council was an unicameral legislature for the Madras Presidency
Madras Presidency
The Madras Presidency , officially the Presidency of Fort St. George and also known as Madras Province, was an administrative subdivision of British India...
. The Government of India Act of 1935
Government of India Act 1935
The Government of India Act 1935 was originally passed in August 1935 , and is said to have been the longest Act of Parliament ever enacted by that time. Because of its length, the Act was retroactively split by the Government of India Act 1935 into two separate Acts:# The Government of India...
abolished dyarchy and created a bicameral
Bicameralism
In the government, bicameralism is the practice of having two legislative or parliamentary chambers. Thus, a bicameral parliament or bicameral legislature is a legislature which consists of two chambers or houses....
legislature in the Madras Presidency. The Legislative Assembly became the Lower House
Lower house
A lower house is one of two chambers of a bicameral legislature, the other chamber being the upper house.Despite its official position "below" the upper house, in many legislatures worldwide the lower house has come to wield more power...
of the Presidency.
After the Republic of India was established in 1950, the Madras Presidency became the Madras State and the bicameral setup continued. The Madras State's assembly strength was 375 and the first assembly was constituted in 1952. The current state was formed in 1956 after the reorganisation of states and strength of the assembly was reduced to 206. Its strength was increased to the present 235 in 1965. Madras State was renamed as Tamil Nadu in 1969 and subsequently the assembly came to be called as "Tamil Nadu Legislative Assembly". The Legislative Council was abolished in 1986, making the legislature an unicameral body and the assembly, its sole chamber.
The present fourteenth Legislative Assembly, was constituted on 16 May 2011. It was constituted after the assembly election of 2011, which resulted in the All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam
All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam
All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam is a state political party in the states of Tamil Nadu and Pondicherry, India. The party was founded by M. G. Ramachandran and is now headed by J. Jayalalithaa. The party headquarters is in Royapettah, Chennai, and was gifted to the party in 1986 by its...
(AIADMK) led front winning and forming the government. The next election should take place around 2016. The election can take place much earlier if the government is dismissed by the central government and President's rule
President's rule
President's rule is the term used in India when a state legislature is dissolved or suspended and the state is placed under direct federal rule...
is proclaimed.
Origin
The first Legislature of any kind to be established in Madras was the Madras Legislative CouncilMadras Legislative Council
Tamil Nadu Legislative Council is the upper house of the bicameral legislature of the Indian state of Tamil Nadu. It began its existence as Madras Legislative Council, the first provincial legislature for Madras Presidency. It was initially created as an advisory body in 1861, by the British...
in 1861. First established as a non representative advisory body, it saw the introduction of elected members in 1892. The Indian Councils Act 1909 (popularly called as "Minto-Morley Reforms"), officially introduced indirect election of members to the Council. In 1919, direct elections were introduced with the introduction of Diarchy
Diarchy in Madras Presidency
Diarchy was established in Madras Presidency based on the recommendations of the Montague-Chelmsford report. Five elections were held during the period diarchy was in effect and Justice Party occupied power most of the time...
under the Government of India Act of 1919
Government of India Act 1919
-See also:*British India*British Raj*History of Bangladesh*History of India*History of Pakistan*Governor-General of India*Government of India Act*India Office*Montagu-Chelmsford Reforms*Secretary of State for India...
. Between 1920-1937, the Legislative Council was an unicameral legislature for the Madras Presidency
Madras Presidency
The Madras Presidency , officially the Presidency of Fort St. George and also known as Madras Province, was an administrative subdivision of British India...
. The Government of India Act of 1935
Government of India Act 1935
The Government of India Act 1935 was originally passed in August 1935 , and is said to have been the longest Act of Parliament ever enacted by that time. Because of its length, the Act was retroactively split by the Government of India Act 1935 into two separate Acts:# The Government of India...
abolished dyarchy and created a bicameral
Bicameralism
In the government, bicameralism is the practice of having two legislative or parliamentary chambers. Thus, a bicameral parliament or bicameral legislature is a legislature which consists of two chambers or houses....
legislature in the Madras province. The Legislature consisted of the Governor and two Legislative bodies - a Legislative Assembly and a Legislative Council. The Assembly was the lower house and consisted of 215 members, who were further classified into general members and reserved members representing special communities and interests:
| General | Scheduled Castes | Mohammadans | Indian Christians | Women | Landholders | Commerce and Industry | Labour and Trade Unions | Europeans | Anglo Indians | University | Backward areas and tribes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 116 | 30 | 28 | 8 | 8 | 6 | 6 | 6 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 1 |
The presiding officer of the Assembly was called the Speaker of the Assembly.
The Assembly in Madras Presidency
The first legislative assembly electionMadras Presidency legislative assembly election, 1937
The First legislative assembly election for the Madras Presidency was held in February 1937. The Indian National Congress obtained a majority by winning 159 of 215 seats in the Legislative Assembly. This was the first electoral victory for the Congress in the presidency since elections were first...
for the Presidency was held in February 1937. The Indian National Congress
Indian National Congress
The Indian National Congress is one of the two major political parties in India, the other being the Bharatiya Janata Party. It is the largest and one of the oldest democratic political parties in the world. The party's modern liberal platform is largely considered center-left in the Indian...
obtained a majority by winning 159 of 215 seats. C. Rajagopalachari
C. Rajagopalachari
Chakravarti Rajagopalachari , informally called Rajaji or C.R., was an Indian lawyer, independence activist, politician, writer and statesman. Rajagopalachari was the last Governor-General of India...
became the first elected chief minister of the Presidency under the provincial autonomy system guaranteed by the Government of India Act of 1935. The first assembly was constituted in July 1937. Bulusu Sambamurti
Bulusu Sambamurti
Bulusu Sambamurti was an Indian lawyer, politician and freedom-fighter who served as the President of the Madras Legislative Council from 1937 to 1942. He was popularly Known as Maharshi Bulusu Samamurti.-Early life:...
and A. Rukmani Lakshmipathi were elected as the Speaker and Deputy Speaker respectively. The first assembly lasted its term till February 1943, but the Congress cabinet resigned in October 1939, protesting India's participation in World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
. During 1939-46, Madras was under the direct rule of the Governor and no elections were held in 1943 when the assembly's term expired. Next elections were held only in 1946
Madras Presidency legislative assembly election, 1946
The second legislative assembly election for the Madras Presidency after the establishment of a bicameral legislature by the Government of India Act of 1935 was held in 1946. The election was held after 6 years of Governor's rule starting from 1939, when the Indian National Congress government of...
, when a political compromise was reached between the Congress and viceroy Lord Wavell
Archibald Wavell, 1st Earl Wavell
Field Marshal Archibald Percival Wavell, 1st Earl Wavell GCB, GCSI, GCIE, CMG, MC, PC was a British field marshal and the commander of British Army forces in the Middle East during the Second World War. He led British forces to victory over the Italians, only to be defeated by the German army...
. The second assembly of the presidency was constituted in April 1946 and J. Shivashanmugam Pillai
J. Shivashanmugam Pillai
Jagannathan Shivashanmugam Pillai was an Indian politician of the Indian National Congress. In 1938, he became the first Dalit mayor of Madras...
was elected as the speaker. The Congress won an absolute majority in the elections and again formed the Government. On 15 August 1947, India became independent and the new Indian Constitution came into effect on 26 January 1950. Madras Presidency became Madras State
Madras State
Madras State was the name by which the Indian districts in Tamil Nadu, Andhra, Northern Kerala, Bellary and Dakshina Kannada were collectively known as from 1950 to 1953....
and the existing assembly and the Government were retained till new elections could be held in 1951.
The Assembly in Republic of India
In the Republic of India, the Madras State Legislative Assembly continued to be the lower house in a bicameral legislature. The first election to the assembly on the basis of universal adult suffrageUniversal suffrage
Universal suffrage consists of the extension of the right to vote to adult citizens as a whole, though it may also mean extending said right to minors and non-citizens...
was held in January 1952. According to the Delimitation of Parliamentary and Assembly Constituencies (Madras) Order, 1951, made by the President under sections 6 and 9 of the Representation of the People Act, 1950, the assembly's strength was 375 members elected from 309 constituencies. Out of the 309 constituencies in the undivided Madras State
Madras State
Madras State was the name by which the Indian districts in Tamil Nadu, Andhra, Northern Kerala, Bellary and Dakshina Kannada were collectively known as from 1950 to 1953....
, 66 were two member constituencies, 62 of which had one seat reserved for Scheduled Caste candidates and 4 for Scheduled Tribe candidates. The two member constituencies were established in accordance to Article 332 of the Indian Constitution
Constitution of India
The Constitution of India is the supreme law of India. It lays down the framework defining fundamental political principles, establishes the structure, procedures, powers, and duties of government institutions, and sets out fundamental rights, directive principles, and the duties of citizens...
. The voting method and the plurality electoral formula were defined in The Representation of People Act, 1950. These constituencies were larger in size and had greater number of voters (more than 1,00,000) when compared to general constituencies. Multiple members were elected only in the 1952 and 1957 elections as double member representation was abolished in 1961 by the enactment of Two-Member Constituencies Abolition Act (1961). Of the 375 seats, 143 were from what later became Andhra
Andhra State
Andhra State was a state in India created on October 1, 1953 from the Telugu-speaking northern districts of Madras Presidency. On November 1, 1956 it was merged with the Telangana region of Hyderabad State to form the united Telugu-speaking state of Andhra Pradesh.- Madras Manade movement :In 1953,...
state, 29 were from Malabar
Malabar District
Malabar District was an administrative district of Madras Presidency in British India and independent India's Madras State. The British district included the present-day districts of Kannur, Kozhikode, Wayanad, Malappuram, Palakkad , and Chavakad Taluk of Thrissur District in the northern part of...
, 11 from South Canara (part of present day Karnataka
Karnataka
Karnataka , the land of the Kannadigas, is a state in South West India. It was created on 1 November 1956, with the passing of the States Reorganisation Act and this day is annually celebrated as Karnataka Rajyotsava...
) and the remaining 190 belonged to Tamil Nadu
Tamil Nadu
Tamil Nadu is one of the 28 states of India. Its capital and largest city is Chennai. Tamil Nadu lies in the southernmost part of the Indian Peninsula and is bordered by the union territory of Pondicherry, and the states of Kerala, Karnataka, and Andhra Pradesh...
.
On 1 October 1953, a separate Andhra State consisting of the Telugu speaking areas of the composite Madras State was formed and the Kannada speaking area of Bellary
Bellary
Bellary is a historic city in Bellary District in Karnataka state, India.-Origins of the city's name:There are several legends about how Bellary got its name....
District was merged with the then Mysore State
Mysore State
The Kingdom of Mysore was one of the three largest princely states within the erstwhile British Empire of India. Upon India gaining its independence in 1947, the Maharaja of Mysore merged his realm with the Union of India...
. This reduced the strength of the Legislative Assembly to 231. On 1 November 1956, the States Reorganisation Act
States Reorganisation Act
The States Reorganisation Act of 1956 was a major reform of the boundaries and governance of India's states and territories. The act reorganised the boundaries of India's states along linguistic lines, and amended the Indian Constitution to replace the three types of states, known as Parts A, B,...
took effect and consequently the constituencies in the erstwhile Malabar district
Malabar District
Malabar District was an administrative district of Madras Presidency in British India and independent India's Madras State. The British district included the present-day districts of Kannur, Kozhikode, Wayanad, Malappuram, Palakkad , and Chavakad Taluk of Thrissur District in the northern part of...
were merged with the Kerala State. This further reduced the strength to 190. The Tamil speaking area of Kerala (present day Kanyakumari
Kanyakumari
Kanyakumari is a town in the state of Tamil Nadu in India. It is also sometimes referred to as Cape Comorin. Located at the southernmost tip of the Indian Peninsula, it is the geographical end of the Indian mainland. The district in Tamil Nadu where the town is located is called Kanyakumari...
district) and Shenkottah taluk were added to Madras State. According to the new Delimitation of Parliamentary and Assembly Constituencies Order 1956, made by the Delimitation Commission of India under the provisions of the State Reorganisation Act of 1956, the strength of the assembly was increased to 205. The 1957 elections were conducted for these 205 seats. In 1959, as result of The Andhra Pradesh and Madras (Alteration of Boundaries) Act 1959
Andhra Pradesh and Madras Alteration of Boundaries Act
Andhra Pradesh and Madras Alteration of Boundaries Act, enacted in 1959 by the Parliament of India under the provisions of article 3 of the constitution, went into with effect from April 1, 1960...
, one member from the Andhra Pradesh Legislative Assembly was allotted to Madras increasing its Legislative Assembly strength to 206. The 1962 elections were conducted for these 206 seats. In 1965, the elected strength of the assembly was increased to 234 by the Delimitation of Parliamentary and Assembly Constituencies Order, 1965. In addition to the 234, the assembly also has one nominated member representing the Anglo-Indian
Anglo-Indian
Anglo-Indians are people who have mixed Indian and British ancestry, or people of British descent born or living in India, now mainly historical in the latter sense. British residents in India used the term "Eurasians" for people of mixed European and Indian descent...
community. From 1965, the number of members has remained constant. In 1969, Madras State was renamed Tamil Nadu
Tamil Nadu
Tamil Nadu is one of the 28 states of India. Its capital and largest city is Chennai. Tamil Nadu lies in the southernmost part of the Indian Peninsula and is bordered by the union territory of Pondicherry, and the states of Kerala, Karnataka, and Andhra Pradesh...
and subsequently the assembly came to be known as the "Tamil Nadu Legislative Assembly". The Legislative Council was abolished with effect from 1 November 1986 through an Act of Parliament titled as The Tamil Nadu Legislative Council (Abolition) Act, 1986. With the abolition of the council, the legislature became an unicameral body and remained so for the next 24 years. Of the fourteen assemblies that have been constituted so far, four (the sixth, seventh, ninth and tenth) have been dismissed by the Central Government using Article 356
President's rule
President's rule is the term used in India when a state legislature is dissolved or suspended and the state is placed under direct federal rule...
of the Indian Constitution.
Location
Chennai
Chennai , formerly known as Madras or Madarasapatinam , is the capital city of the Indian state of Tamil Nadu, located on the Coromandel Coast off the Bay of Bengal. Chennai is the fourth most populous metropolitan area and the sixth most populous city in India...
. Fort St. George has historically been the seat of the Government of Tamil Nadu
Government of Tamil Nadu
The Government of Tamil Nadu, headquartered at Chennai is the governing authority for the Indian State of Tamil Nadu. It is seated at the Fort St. George...
since colonial times. During 1921-37, the precursor to the assembly - Madras Legislative Council, met at the council chambers within the fort. Between 14 July 1937 - 21 December 1938, the assembly met at the Senate House
Senate House (University of Madras)
The Senate House is the administrative centre of the University of Madras in Chennai, India. It is situated in Wallajah Road, along Marina Beach...
of the University of Madras
University of Madras
The University of Madras is a public research university in Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India. It is one of the three oldest universities in India...
and between 27 January 1938 - 26 October 1939 in the Banqueting Hall (later renamed as Rajaji Hall
Rajaji Hall
Rajaji Hall, previously known as the Banqueting Hall, is a public hall in the city of Chennai, India used for social functions. The hall was built by John Goldingham to commemorate the British victory over Tipu Sultan in the Fourth Anglo-Mysore War....
) in the Government Estate complex at Mount Road. During 1946-52, it moved back to the Fort St. George. In 1952, the strength of the assembly rose to 375, after the constitution of the first assembly, and it was briefly moved into temporary premises at the government estate complex. This move was made in March 1952, as the existing assembly building only had a seating capacity of 260. Then on 3 May 1952, it moved into the newly constructed assembly building in the same complex. The assembly functioned from the new building (later renamed as "Kalaivanar Arangam") during 1952-56. However with the reorganisation of states and formation of Andhra, the strength came down to 190 and the assembly moved back to Fort St. George in 1956. From December 1956 till January 2010, the Fort remained the home to the assembly. In 2004, during the 12th assembly, the ADMK Government under J. Jayalalitha made unsuccessful attempts to shift the assembly, first to the location of Queen Mary's College and later to the Anna University
Anna University
Anna University was a premier technical university in Tamil Nadu, India. Anna University was formed on September 4, 1978, as a unitary university that integrated four technical institutions in the city of Chennai , including the College of Engineering, Guindy, Alagappa College of Technology,...
campus, Guindy
Guindy
Guindy is one of the important neighbourhoods of Chennai , Tamil Nadu, India. It is located in the South-Western part of the city. It is the entry point or the gateway to Chennai city from the Southern parts of Tamil Nadu and the South Western suburbs of Chennai...
. Both attempts were withdrawn after public opposition. During the 13th Assembly, the DMK government led by M. Karunanidhi
M. Karunanidhi
Muthuvel Karunanidhi is an Indian politician and a former Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu. He is the head of Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam , a Dravidian political party in the state of Tamil Nadu. He has been the leader of the DMK since the death of its founder, C. N...
proposed a new plan to shift the assembly and the government secretariat to the a new building in the Omandurar Government Estate. In 2007, the German architectural firm GMP International won the design competition to design and construct the new assembly complex. Construction began in 2008 and was completed in 2010. The new assembly building was opened and the assembly started functioning in it from March 2010. After ADMK's victory in the 2011 elections, the assembly shifted back to Fort St. George.
List of historical locations where the Tamil Nadu Legislature has been housed:
| Duration | Location |
|---|---|
| 1921–1937 | Council chambers, Fort St. George |
| 14 July 1937 - 21 December 1938 | Senate House Senate House (University of Madras) The Senate House is the administrative centre of the University of Madras in Chennai, India. It is situated in Wallajah Road, along Marina Beach... , Madras University Campus, Chepauk Chepauk Chepauk is a locality in Chennai , in India. The name Chepauk is popularly used to refer to the M. A. Chidambaram International Cricket Stadium also known as Chepauk Stadium. It is also home to the Chepauk palace, built in the Indo-Saracenic style... |
| 27 January 1938 - 26 October 1939 | Banqueting Hall (Rajaji Hall Rajaji Hall Rajaji Hall, previously known as the Banqueting Hall, is a public hall in the city of Chennai, India used for social functions. The hall was built by John Goldingham to commemorate the British victory over Tipu Sultan in the Fourth Anglo-Mysore War.... ), Government Estate (Omandurar Estate), Mount Road |
| 24 May 1946 - 27 March 1952 | Council chambers, Fort St. George |
| 3 May 1952 - 27 December 1956 | Kalaivanar Arangam, Government Estate (Omandurar Estate) |
| 29 April 1957 - 30 March 1959 | Assembly Hall, Fort St. George |
| 20–30 April 1959 | Aranmore Palace, Udhagamandalam (Ooty) |
| 31 August 1959 - 11 January 2010 | Assembly Hall, Fort St. George |
| 16 March 2010 - 15 May 2011 | New Assembly Complex, Omandurar Government Estate, Anna Salai Anna Salai Anna Salai , formerly known as Mount Road, an abbreviated form of St. Thomas Mount Road, is an arterial road in Chennai, India. It starts at the Cooum Creek, south of Fort St George and ends at the Kathipara Junction in Guindy... |
| 16 May 2011 | Assembly Hall, Fort St. George |
Madras Presidency
| Election Year | Assembly | Winning Party/Coalition | Chief Minister | Speaker |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1937 Madras Presidency legislative assembly election, 1937 The First legislative assembly election for the Madras Presidency was held in February 1937. The Indian National Congress obtained a majority by winning 159 of 215 seats in the Legislative Assembly. This was the first electoral victory for the Congress in the presidency since elections were first... |
First Assembly | Indian National Congress Indian National Congress The Indian National Congress is one of the two major political parties in India, the other being the Bharatiya Janata Party. It is the largest and one of the oldest democratic political parties in the world. The party's modern liberal platform is largely considered center-left in the Indian... |
C. Rajagopalachari C. Rajagopalachari Chakravarti Rajagopalachari , informally called Rajaji or C.R., was an Indian lawyer, independence activist, politician, writer and statesman. Rajagopalachari was the last Governor-General of India... |
Bulusu Sambamurti Bulusu Sambamurti Bulusu Sambamurti was an Indian lawyer, politician and freedom-fighter who served as the President of the Madras Legislative Council from 1937 to 1942. He was popularly Known as Maharshi Bulusu Samamurti.-Early life:... |
| 1946 Madras Presidency legislative assembly election, 1946 The second legislative assembly election for the Madras Presidency after the establishment of a bicameral legislature by the Government of India Act of 1935 was held in 1946. The election was held after 6 years of Governor's rule starting from 1939, when the Indian National Congress government of... |
Second Assembly | Indian National Congress Indian National Congress The Indian National Congress is one of the two major political parties in India, the other being the Bharatiya Janata Party. It is the largest and one of the oldest democratic political parties in the world. The party's modern liberal platform is largely considered center-left in the Indian... |
T. Prakasam Omandur Ramaswamy Reddiar P. S. Kumaraswamy Raja P. S. Kumaraswamy Raja Poosapati Sanjeevi Kumarswamy Raja was the Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu , India from April 6, 1949 to April 10, 1952. He was born in Rajapalayam in Tamil Nadu.-Early life:... |
J. Shivashanmugam Pillai J. Shivashanmugam Pillai Jagannathan Shivashanmugam Pillai was an Indian politician of the Indian National Congress. In 1938, he became the first Dalit mayor of Madras... |
Madras State and Tamil Nadu
| Election Year | Assembly | Winning Party/Coalition | Chief Minister | Speaker |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1952 Madras legislative assembly election, 1952 The first legislative assembly Election to the Madras state on the basis of universal adult suffrage was held in March 1952. This was the first election held in Madras state after the Indian Independence... |
First Assembly | Indian National Congress Indian National Congress The Indian National Congress is one of the two major political parties in India, the other being the Bharatiya Janata Party. It is the largest and one of the oldest democratic political parties in the world. The party's modern liberal platform is largely considered center-left in the Indian... * |
C. Rajagopalachari C. Rajagopalachari Chakravarti Rajagopalachari , informally called Rajaji or C.R., was an Indian lawyer, independence activist, politician, writer and statesman. Rajagopalachari was the last Governor-General of India... K. Kamaraj K. Kamaraj Kumarasami Kamaraj better known as K. Kamaraj was an Indian politician from Tamil Nadu widely acknowledged as the "Kingmaker" in Indian politics during the 1960s. He was the chief minister of Tamil Nadu during 1954-1963 and a Member of Parliament during 1952-1954 and 1969-1975... |
J. Shivashanmugam Pillai J. Shivashanmugam Pillai Jagannathan Shivashanmugam Pillai was an Indian politician of the Indian National Congress. In 1938, he became the first Dalit mayor of Madras... (2) |
| 1957 | Second Assembly | Indian National Congress | K. Kamaraj (2) | N. Gopala Menon N. Gopala Menon N. Gopala Menon was an Indian politician of the Indian National Congress and Member of the Legislative Assembly of Madras state. He served as the Speaker of the Madras Legislative Assembly from 1955 to 1956.... U. Krishna Rao U. Krishna Rao U. Krishna Rao or U.Krishna Rau was an Indian politician of the Indian National Congress and Member of the Legislative Assembly of Madras state . He was a medical doctor by profession and co-edited a medical journal called Antiseptic founded by his father U. Rama Rao and T. M. Nair... |
| 1962 Madras legislative assembly election, 1962 The third legislative assembly election to the Madras state was held on 21 February 1962. The Indian National Congress party, led by K. Kamaraj, won the election. This was the last time that Congress won an election in Tamil Nadu... |
Third Assembly | Indian National Congress | K. Kamaraj (3)M. Bakthavatsalam M. Bakthavatsalam Minjur Bhaktavatsalam was an Indian lawyer, politician and freedom fighter from the state of Tamil Nadu. He served as the Chief Minister of Madras state from October 2, 1963 to March 6, 1967... |
S. Chellapandian S. Chellapandian S. Chellapandian was an Indian politician of the Indian National Congress and Member of the Legislative Assembly of Madras state from Tirunelveli district. He served as the Speaker of the Madras Legislative Assembly from 1962 to 1967.- Notes :... |
| 1967 Tamil Nadu state assembly election, 1967 The fourth legislative assembly election of Madras State was held in February 1967. The Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam led coalition under the leadership of C.N. Annadurai won the election defeating the Indian National Congress . Anti-Hindi agitations, the rising prices of essential commodities and a... |
Fourth Assembly | Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam is a state political party in the states of Tamil Nadu and Pondicherry, India. It is a Dravidian party founded by C. N. Annadurai as a breakaway faction from the Dravidar Kazhagam headed by Periyar... |
C.N. AnnaduraiM. Karunanidhi M. Karunanidhi Muthuvel Karunanidhi is an Indian politician and a former Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu. He is the head of Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam , a Dravidian political party in the state of Tamil Nadu. He has been the leader of the DMK since the death of its founder, C. N... |
S. P. Adithanar S. P. Adithanar Si. Balasubramania Adithan a.K.a Si. Ba. Adithan , popularly called as Adithanar, was a Tamil lawyer, politician, minister and founder of the Tamil daily newspaper Dina Thanthi. He was the founder of the We Tamils party and served as the member of the Madras Legislative Council for two terms... Pulavar K. Govindan Pulavar K. Govindan Pulavar K. Govindan was an Indian politician of the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam and Member of the Legislative Assembly of Madras state. He served as the Deputy Speaker of the Madras Legislative Assembly from 1967 to 1968 and Speaker for two terms from 1969 to 1971 and 1973 to 1977.... |
| 1971 Tamil Nadu state assembly election, 1971 The fifth legislative assembly election of Tamil Nadu was held in March 1971. Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam was re-elected, after its first victory under the leadership of C N Annadurai in 1967. This was the first time M. Karunanidhi, contested as the leader of DMK party won the election, since he... |
Fifth Assembly | Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam | M. Karunanidhi (2) | K. A. Mathiazagan P. Seenivasan P. Seenivasan P. Seenivasan was an Indian politician of the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam and Member of the Legislative Assembly of Tamil Nadu. He served as the Deputy Speaker of the Tamil Nadu Legislative Assembly from 1971 to 1972... Pulavar K. Govindan (2) |
| 1977 Tamil Nadu state assembly election, 1977 The sixth legislative assembly election of Tamil Nadu was held on June 10, 1977. Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam won the election defeating its rival Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam . M. G. Ramachandran was sworn in as Chief Minister for the first time. The election was a four cornered contest between... |
Sixth Assembly | Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam | M.G. Ramachandran | Munu Adhi Munu Adhi Munu Adhi was an Indian politician of the Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam and Member of the Legislative Assembly of Tamil Nadu. He served as the Speaker of the Tamil Nadu Legislative Assembly from 1977 to 1980.- Notes :... |
| 1980 Tamil Nadu state assembly election, 1980 The seventh legislative assembly election to Tamil Nadu was held on May 28, 1980. Election was held two years before the end of the term of M. G. Ramachandran administration as it was dissolved by the then President of India Neelam Sanjiva Reddy. Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam allied with the Indian... |
Seventh Assembly | Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam | M.G. Ramachandran (2) | Munu Adhi (2) K. Rajaram K. Rajaram K. Rajaram was an Indian politician of the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam and later, All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam and Member of the Legislative Assembly of Tamil Nadu. He served as the Speaker of the Tamil Nadu Legislative Assembly from 1980 to 1985.Rajaram rose to prominence in 1962 when... |
| 1984 Tamil Nadu state assembly election, 1984 The eighth legislative assembly election for Tamil Nadu was held on December 24, 1984. Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam won the election and its leader, incumbent M. G. Ramachandran was sworn in as Chief Minister, for the third time. This was the last time, where a Chief Minister in Tamil Nadu has... |
Eighth Assembly | Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam | M.G. Ramachandran (3) Janaki Ramachandran Janaki Ramachandran Janaki Ramachandran , popularly known as V.N. Janaki , was an Indian Tamil actress and politician. She was born to Rajagopal Iyer and Narayani Amma in the town of Vaikom in Kerala State. She had a brother P. Narayanan who was an educationalist... |
K. Rajaram (2) P. H. Pandian P. H. Pandian P. H. Pandian was an Indian politician of the Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam and Member of the Legislative Assembly of Tamil Nadu from Tirunelveli district. He served as the Deputy Speaker of the Tamil Nadu Legislative Assembly from 1980 to 1985. He also served as Speaker of Tamil Nadu Legistlative... |
| 1989 Tamil Nadu state assembly election, 1989 The ninth legislative assembly election of Tamil Nadu was held on 21 January 1989. Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam won the election and its leader M. Karunanidhi, became the Chief Minister. It was his third term in office... |
Ninth Assembly | Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam | M. Karunanidhi (3) | M. Tamilkudimagan M. Tamilkudimagan M. Tamilkudimagan was an Indian politician and Member of the Legislative Assembly of Tamil Nadu. He served as the Speaker of the Tamil Nadu Legislative Assembly from 1989 to 1991.His original name is Sathiah.- Notes :... |
| 1991 Tamil Nadu state assembly election, 1991 The tenth legislative assembly election of Tamil Nadu was held on 24 June 1991. The Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam - Indian National Congress alliance won the elections in a landslide and ADMK leader J. Jayalalithaa became the chief minister. This was her first term in office... |
Tenth Assembly | All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam | J. Jayalalithaa J. Jayalalithaa Jayalalithaa Jayaram ; born 24 February 1948) commonly referred to as J. Jayalalitha, is the Chief Minister of the state of Tamil Nadu, India. She is the incumbent general secretary of All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam , a Dravidian party. She is called Amma and Puratchi Thalaivi by her... |
R. Muthiah R. Muthiah Sedapatti R. Muthiah is an Indian politician of the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam. He was one of the Top Leaders of AIADMK right from its creation and was Second in command in AIADMK till 1998... |
| 1996 Tamil Nadu state assembly election, 1996 The eleventh legislative assembly election of Tamil Nadu was held on 2 May 1996. The Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam led front won the election and its leader M. Karunanidhi, became the chief minister.This was his fourth term in office. The incumbent Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam government was... |
Eleventh Assembly | Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam | M. Karunanidhi (4) | P. T. R. Palanivel Rajan |
| 2001 Tamil Nadu state assembly election, 2001 The twelfth legislative assembly election of Tamil Nadu was held on May 10, 2001. All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam -led front won the elections and its leader, J. Jayalalithaa was sworn in as Chief Minister, even though she could not legally run as MLA in this election. She was unanimously... |
Twelfth Assembly Twelfth Assembly of Tamil Nadu Twelfth Assembly of Tamil Nadu was instituted after the victory of AIADMK and allies, in the 2001 state assembly election. O. Panneerselvam officially became the 13th and J. Jayalalithaa became the 14th Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu due to the election... |
All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam | O. Panneerselvam O. Panneerselvam O. Paneerselvam is the current Finance Minister and a former Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu. Prior to his entry into politics, he owned agricultural lands and a tea shop which he still owns. He was the chairman of Periakulam municipality in 1996. Then he contested the 2001 MLA election from... J. Jayalalithaa (2) |
K. Kalimuthu K. Kalimuthu K. Kalimuthu was an Indian politician of the Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam and Member of the Legislative Assembly of Tamil Nadu. He served as the Speaker of the Madras Legislative Assembly from 2001 to 2006.- Notes :... |
| 2006 Tamil Nadu state assembly election, 2006 The thirteenth legislative assembly election, of Tamil Nadu was held on May 8, 2006. It was held for all 234 constituencies to elect the government in the state of for the following five years. The votes were counted three days later on May 11, 2006 and all the results were out by the end of the day... |
Thirteenth Assembly Thirteenth Assembly of Tamil Nadu Thirteenth Assembly of Tamil Nadu was instituted after the victory of DMK and allies, in the 2006 state assembly election. M. Karunanidhi became the 15th Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu due to the election.- Overview :... |
Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DPA Democratic Progressive Alliance Democratic Progressive Alliance is an alliance of Indian political parties formed by the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam in 2004.-Current constituents:... ) |
M. Karunanidhi (5) | R. Avudaiappan |
| 2011 | Fourteenth Assembly Fourteenth Assembly of Tamil Nadu Fourteenth Assembly of Tamil Nadu was constituted after the victory of AIADMK and allies, in the 2011 state assembly election. J. Jayalalitha became the 16th Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu due to the election.- Overview :... |
All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam | J. Jayalalitha (3) | D. Jayakumar D. Jayakumar D. Jayakumar is an Indian politician and incumbent Member of the Legislative Assembly of Tamil Nadu.He is the speaker of the current tamil nadu legislative assembly. He was elected to the Tamil Nadu legislative assembly from Royapuram constituency as an Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam candidate in... |
- Note: In the 1952 election, no party achieved a majority in the assembly election, so Rajaji became the first and only non-elected Chief Minister. In the 1967 election, Annadurai was elected to the Lok Sabha and not to the Assembly. He resigned his as Member of Parliament and was elected to the Legislative Council in order to become Chief Minister.
Composition of Parties In Current Assembly
See also
- Tamil Nadu LegislatureTamil Nadu LegislatureThe Tamil Nadu Legislature is the unicameral legislature of the Indian state of Tamil Nadu. The Legislature is composed of Tamil Nadu Legislative Assembly and the Governor of Tamil Nadu...
- Government of Tamil NaduGovernment of Tamil NaduThe Government of Tamil Nadu, headquartered at Chennai is the governing authority for the Indian State of Tamil Nadu. It is seated at the Fort St. George...
- List of Speakers of the Tamil Nadu Legislature
- List of Chief Ministers of Tamil Nadu