Madras Legislative Council
Encyclopedia
Tamil Nadu Legislative Council is the upper house
of the bicameral legislature of the India
n 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 colonial government
. It was established by the first Indian Council Act of 1861, enacted in the British parliament in the aftermath of the Indian Rebellion of 1857
. Its role and strength were later expanded by the second Council Act of 1892. Limited election was introduced in 1909. The Council became an unicameral legislative body in 1921 and eventually the upper chamber of a bicameral legislature in 1937. After India became independent
in 1947, it continued to be the upper chamber of the legislature of Madras State
, one of the successor states to the Madras Presidency. It was renamed as the Tamil Nadu Legislative Council when the state was renamed as Tamil Nadu
in 1969. The Council was abolished by the M. G. Ramachandran
administration on 1 November 1986. In 2010 the DMK regime headed by M. Karunanidhi
tried to revive the Council. The current AIADMK regime has expressed its intention not to revive the council and has passed a resolution in the Tamil Nadu Legislative Assembly in this regard.
s and ryotwari
landowners, who often benefited from their association with the colonial government. Supportive members were often re-nominated for several terms. G. N. Ganapathy Rao was nominated eight times, Humayun Jah Bahadur was a member for 23 years, T. Rama Rao
and P. Chentsal Rao
were members for six years each. Other prominent members during the period included V. Bhashyam Aiyangar, S. Subramania Iyer
and C. Sankaran Nair
. The Council met infrequently and in some years (1874 and 1892) was not convened even once. The maximum of number of times it met in a year was eighteen. The Governor preferred to convene the Council at his summer retreat Udagamandalam, much to the displeasure of the Indian members. The few times when the Council met, it was for only a few hours with bills and resolutions being rushed through.
In 1892, the role of the Council was expanded by the Indian Councils Act of 1892. The Act increased the number of additional members of the Council to a maximum of 20, of whom not more than nine had to be officials. The Act introduced the method of election for the Council, but did not mention word "election" explicitly. The elected members were officially called as "nominated" members and their method of election was described as "recommendation". Such "recommendations" were made by district boards, universities, municipalities and other associations. The term of the members was fixed at two years. The Council could also discuss the annual financial statement and ask questions subject to certain limitations. Thirty eight Indian members were "nominated" in the eight elections during 1893-1909 when this Act was in effect. C. Jambulingam Mudaliar
, N. Subba Rao Pantulu
, P. Kesava Pillai and C. Vijayaraghavachariar
representing southern group of district boards, Kruthiventi Perraju Pantulu of the northern group of municipalities, C. Sankaran Nair
and P. Rangaiah Naidu
from the Corporation of Madras and P. S. Sivaswami Iyer
, V. Krishnaswamy Iyer
and M. Krishnan Nair
from the University of Madras were some of the active members. However, over a period of time, representation by Indian members dwindled, for example, the position of Bashyam Iyengar and Sankaran Nayar in 1902 was occupied by Acworth and Sir George Moore. The council did not meet more than 9 days in a year during the time the Act was in effect.
The Indian Councils Act 1909 (popularly called as "Minto-Morley Reforms"), officially introduced the method of electing members to the Council. But it did not provide for direct election of the members. It abolished automatic official (executive) majorities in the Council and gave its members the power to move resolutions upon matters of general public interest and the budget and also to ask supplementary questions. There were a total of 21 elected members and 21 nominated members. The Act allowed up to 16 nominated members to be official and the remaining five were required to be non-officials. The Governor was also authorised to nominate two experts whenever necessary. As before, the Governor, his two executive council members and the Advocate-General were also members of the Council. P. Kesava Pillai, A. S. Krishna Rao, N. Krishnaswami Iyengar, B. N. Sarma
, B. V. Narasimha Iyer, K. Perraju Pantulu, T. V. Seshagiri Iyer
, P. Siva Rao, V. S. Srinivasa Sastri, P. Theagaraya Chetty
and Yakub Hasan Sait
were among the active members.
was enacted. The Act enlarged the provincial legislative councils and increased the strength of elected members to be greater than that of nominated and official members. It introduced a system of dyarchy in the Provinces. Although this Act brought about representative Government in India, the Governor was empowered with overriding powers. It classified the subjects as belonging to either the Centre or the Provinces. The Governor General
could override any law passed by the Provincial councils. It brought about the concept of "Partial Responsible Government" in the provinces. Provincial subjects were divided into two categories - reserved and transferred. Education, Sanitation, Local self government, Agriculture and Industries were listed as the transferred subjects. Law, Finance, Revenue and Home affairs were the reserved subjects. The provincial council could decide the budget in so far it related to the transferred subjects. Executive machinery dealing with those subjects was placed under the direct control of provincial legislature. However, the provincial legislature and the ministers did not have any control over the reserved subjects, which came under the Governor and his Executive council.
The Council had a total of 127 members in addition to the ex - officio members of the Governor's Executive Council. Out of the 127, 98 were elected from 61 constituencies of the presidency. The constituencies comprised three arbitrary divisions - 1)communal constituencies such as non-Muhammadan urban, non-Muhammadan rural, non-Brahman urban, Mohamaddan
urban, Mohamaddan rural, Indian Christian, European and Anglo-Indian 2)special constituencies such as landholders, Universities, planters and trade associations (South India Chamber of Commerce & Nattukottai Nagarathar Association) and 3) territorial constituencies. 28 of the constituencies were reserved for non-Brahmans
. 29 members were nominated, out of whom a maximum of 19 would be government officials, 5 would represent the Paraiyar
, Pallar
, Valluvar
, Mala
, Madiga
, Sakkiliar
, Thottiyar, Cheruman and Holeya
communities and 1 would represent the "backward tracts". Including the Executive Council members, the total strength of the legislature was 134.
The first election
for the Madras Legislative Council, under this Act was held in November 1920. The first sitting of the Council was inaugurated by the Duke of Connaught
on 12 January 1921. In total, five such councils were constituted (in 1920, 23
, 26
, 30
and 34
). The term of the councils was three years (except for the fourth council which was extended for a year in expectation of abolition of dyarchy ). While the first, second and fourth Councils were controlled by Justice Party
majorities, the third Council was characterised by a fractured verdict and an independent ministry. The fifth council also saw a fractured verdict and a minority Justice government.
The Government of India Act of 1935
abolished dyarchy and ensured provincial autonomy. It 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 consisted of 215 members, who were further classified into general members and reserved members representing special communities and interests. The Council consisted of a minimum of 54 and a maximum of 56 members. It was a permanent body not subject to dissolution by the Governor and one-third of its members retired every three years. 46 of its members were elected directly by the electorate while the Governor could nominate 8 to 10 members. Similar to the council, the electable members were further classified into general and reserved members. Specific number of seats were reserved (allocated) to various religious and ethnic groups. The Act provided for a limited adult franchise based on property qualifications. Seven million people, roughly 15% of the Madras people holding land or paying urban taxes were qualified to be the electorate. Under this Act, two councils were constituted - the first in 1937
and the second in 1946
. Both Councils were controlled by Congress
majorities.
in 1947 and the Indian Constitution
was adopted in 1950, the Legislative Council continued to be the upper chamber of the legislature of the Madras State
- the successor to Madras Presidency. It continued to be called as the "Madras Legislative Council". The Council was a permanent body and was not subject to dissolution. The length of a member's term was six years and one third of the members retired every two years. The strength of the Council was not less than 40 or more than one third of the strength of the Assembly. The following table illustrates how the members of Council were selected:
The actual strength of the council varied from time to time. During 1952-53, it had a strength of 72. After the formation of Andhra
state on 1 October 1953, its strength came down to 51. In 1956 it decreased to 50 and the next year increased again to 63 - where it remained till the council's abolition. Of those 63, local bodies and the assembly elected 21 each, the teachers and graduates elected 6 each and the remaining 9 were nominated. The Council could not pass legislation on its own - it had to approve or disapprove the laws passed by the Assembly. In case of conflict between the Council and the Assembly, the will of the later would prevail. When Madras state was renamed as Tamil Nadu
in 1968, the name of the council also changed to "Tamil Nadu Legislative Council".
(MGR) . MGR had nominated a Tamil film
actress, "Vennira Aaadai
" Nirmala (aka A. B. Shanthi) to the Council. Her swearing in ceremony was scheduled for 23 April 1986. Nirmala had earlier declared insolvency and according to Article 102-(1)(c) of the Indian Constitution, an insolvent person can not serve as a member of parliament or state legislature. On 21 April, a lawyer named S. K. Sundaram, filed a public interest writ petition in the Madras High Court
challenging Nirmala's nomination to the Council. MGR loaned Nirmala a sum of Rupees 4,65,000 from ADMK's party funds to pay off her creditors, so that her insolvency declaration could be annulled. The same day, Nirmala's lawyer Subramaniam Pichai, was able to persuade judge Ramalingam to set aside her insolvency. He used a provision in the Section 31 of The Presidency Towns Insolvency Act of 1909, which allowed a judge to annul an insolvency retrospectively if all debts had been paid in full. This annulment made Nirmala's nomination valid and the writ petition against it was dismissed. However, Nirmala withdrew her nomination to the council. The Governor of Tamil Nadu, Sundar Lal Khurana
asked MGR to explain how Nirmala's nomination was proposed without proper vetting. Miffed with this incident, MGR decided to abolish the council.
On 14 May, a resolution seeking to abolish the council was moved successfully in the legislative assembly. The Tamil Nadu Legislative Council (Abolition) Bill, 1986 was passed by both houses of the Parliament and received the assent of the president on 30 August 1986. The Act came into force on 1 November 1986 and the council was abolished.
(DMK) has so far made three unsuccessful attempts to revive the council. Revival of the Legislative Council was one of the promises included in the election manifesto of Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam
(DMK) in the 2006 Assembly elections. The DMK won the 2006 assembly election and M. Karunanidhi
became Chief minister. In his inaugural address to the 13th Legislative Assembly delivered on 24 May 2006, Governor Surjit Singh Barnala
said steps will be taken to move the necessary constitutional amendments for reviving the council. On 12 April 2010, the Legislative Assembly passed a resolution seeking to revive the Council. The DMK's earlier attempts to revive the council, when it was in power during 1989-91 and 1996-2001 were not successful, as it did not possess both the two-thirds majority in the Legislative Assembly and a friendly union government
necessary for it to be done. On both occasions, the ADMK governments that followed the DMK governments passed counter resolutions to rescind them (in October 1991 and July 2001 respectively). The Tamil Nadu Legislative Council Bill, 2010 was approved by the Indian cabinet on 4 May 2010 and was passed by both the houses of the Indian Parliament. Constituencies for the new house were identified in September 2010. Work on preparation of electoral rolls for them began on October 2010 and was completed by January 2011. However in February 2011, the Supreme Court of India
stayed the elections to the new council, till the petitions challenging its revival could be heard.
In the 2011 Assembly elections, the AIADMK came out with a sweeping majority. The AIADMK government headed by J.Jayalalitha expressed its intention not to revive the council. The government once again passed a counter resolution to withdraw the attempt to revive the council.
Fort St. George has historically been the seat of the Government of Tamil Nadu
since colonial times. During 1921-37, the 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 legislative 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 legislature 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 legislature moved back to Fort St. George in 1956. From December 1956 till January 2010, the Fort remained the home to the legislature . In 2004, during the 12th assembly, the ADMK Government under J. Jayalalitha made unsuccessful attempts to shift the assembly (the council had been abolished by then), 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 assembly functioned in the new assembly building during March 2010 - May 2011. In May 2011, the Tamil Nadu legislature was moved back to Fort St. George.
List of historical locations where the Tamil Nadu Legislative Council has been housed:
(Rajaji) was nominated by Governor Sri Prakasa
to the Council so that Rajaji could become chief minister. The second time was in 1967 when C. N. Annadurai
became the chief minister first and then got himself elected to the Council.
was also the President of the Council. After dyarchy introduced, the first and second council presidents, Perungavalur Rajagopalachari and L. D. Swamikannu Pillai
, were appointed by the Governor himself. The presidents who came after them were chosen by the Council itself. During 1937-86, the presiding officer was called as the "Chairman of the Council". The following table lists the presiding officers of the Council.
Upper house
An upper house, often called a senate, is one of two chambers of a bicameral legislature, the other chamber being the lower house; a legislature composed of only one house is described as unicameral.- Possible specific characteristics :...
of the bicameral legislature of the India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
n 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 began its existence as Madras Legislative Council, the first provincial legislature for 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...
. It was initially created as an advisory body in 1861, by the British colonial government
British Raj
British Raj was the British rule in the Indian subcontinent between 1858 and 1947; The term can also refer to the period of dominion...
. It was established by the first Indian Council Act of 1861, enacted in the British parliament in the aftermath of the Indian Rebellion of 1857
Indian Rebellion of 1857
The Indian Rebellion of 1857 began as a mutiny of sepoys of the British East India Company's army on 10 May 1857, in the town of Meerut, and soon escalated into other mutinies and civilian rebellions largely in the upper Gangetic plain and central India, with the major hostilities confined to...
. Its role and strength were later expanded by the second Council Act of 1892. Limited election was introduced in 1909. The Council became an unicameral legislative body in 1921 and eventually the upper chamber of a bicameral legislature in 1937. After India became independent
Indian independence movement
The term Indian independence movement encompasses a wide area of political organisations, philosophies, and movements which had the common aim of ending first British East India Company rule, and then British imperial authority, in parts of South Asia...
in 1947, it continued to be the upper chamber of the legislature of 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....
, one of the successor states to the Madras Presidency. It was renamed as the Tamil Nadu Legislative Council when the state was renamed as 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...
in 1969. The Council was abolished by the M. G. Ramachandran
M. G. Ramachandran
Maruthur Gopalan Ramachandran , popularly known by his initials , was an Indian film actor, director, producer and politician....
administration on 1 November 1986. In 2010 the DMK regime headed 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...
tried to revive the Council. The current AIADMK regime has expressed its intention not to revive the council and has passed a resolution in the Tamil Nadu Legislative Assembly in this regard.
Origin
The first Indian Councils Act of 1861 set up the Madras Legislative Council as an advisory body through which the colonial administration obtained advice and assistance. The Act empowered the provincial Governor to nominate four non-English Indian members to the council for the first time. Under the Act, the nominated members were allowed to move their own bills and vote on bills introduced in the council. However, they were not allowed to question the executive, move resolutions or examine the budget. Also they could not interfere with the laws passed by the Central Legislature. The Governor was also the president of the Council and he had complete authority over when, where and how long to convene the Council and what to discuss. Two members of his Executive Council and the Advocate-General of Madras were also allowed to participate and vote in the Council. The Indians nominated under this Act were mostly zamindarZamindar
A Zamindar or zemindar , was an aristocrat, typically hereditary, who held enormous tracts of land and ruled over and taxed the bhikaaris who lived on batavaslam. Over time, they took princely and royal titles such as Maharaja , Raja , Nawab , and Mirza , Chowdhury , among others...
s and ryotwari
Ryotwari
The ryotwari system, instituted in some parts of British India, was one of the two main systems used to collect revenues from the cultivators of agricultural land. These revenues included undifferentiated land taxes and rents, collected simultaneously...
landowners, who often benefited from their association with the colonial government. Supportive members were often re-nominated for several terms. G. N. Ganapathy Rao was nominated eight times, Humayun Jah Bahadur was a member for 23 years, T. Rama Rao
T. Rama Rao
Rama Rao Tatineni , also known as T. Rama Rao, is a prolific Indian filmmaker. He has directed 65 Hindi and Telugu feature films between 1966 and 2000....
and P. Chentsal Rao
P. Chentsal Rao
Rajatantra Pravina Palle Chentsal Rao Pantulu CIE was an Indian civil servant who served as a member of the Madras Legislative Council from 1887 to 1892.- Biography :...
were members for six years each. Other prominent members during the period included V. Bhashyam Aiyangar, S. Subramania Iyer
S. Subramania Iyer
Sir Subbier Subramania Iyer KCIE was an Indian lawyer, jurist and freedom fighter who, along with Annie Besant, founded the Home Rule Movement. He was popularly known as the "Grand Old Man of South India"....
and C. Sankaran Nair
C. Sankaran Nair
Sir Chettur Sankaran Nair KCIE was the President of the Indian National Congress in 1897 held at Amraoti. Until present he is the only Keralite to hold the post.-Early life and education:...
. The Council met infrequently and in some years (1874 and 1892) was not convened even once. The maximum of number of times it met in a year was eighteen. The Governor preferred to convene the Council at his summer retreat Udagamandalam, much to the displeasure of the Indian members. The few times when the Council met, it was for only a few hours with bills and resolutions being rushed through.
Expansion
uring 1891-1909
|
In 1892, the role of the Council was expanded by the Indian Councils Act of 1892. The Act increased the number of additional members of the Council to a maximum of 20, of whom not more than nine had to be officials. The Act introduced the method of election for the Council, but did not mention word "election" explicitly. The elected members were officially called as "nominated" members and their method of election was described as "recommendation". Such "recommendations" were made by district boards, universities, municipalities and other associations. The term of the members was fixed at two years. The Council could also discuss the annual financial statement and ask questions subject to certain limitations. Thirty eight Indian members were "nominated" in the eight elections during 1893-1909 when this Act was in effect. C. Jambulingam Mudaliar
C. Jambulingam Mudaliar
Rao Bahadur C. Jambulingam Mudaliar CIE was an Indian politician and freedom-fighter who served as a civil court judge and member of the Madras Legislative Council. He was one of the foremost leaders of the Indian National Congress in the 1890s.- Early life :...
, N. Subba Rao Pantulu
N. Subba Rao Pantulu
Nyapathi Subba Rao Pantulu was an Indian politician and social activist who served as a member of the Madras Legislative Council. between 1893 and 1909. He was also one of the founders of The Hindu.- Early life :...
, P. Kesava Pillai and C. Vijayaraghavachariar
C. Vijayaraghavachariar
Chakravarti Vijayaraghavachariar was an Indian politician. He rose to prominence following his appeal against the charges alleging him to have instigated a Hindu - Muslim riot in Salem...
representing southern group of district boards, Kruthiventi Perraju Pantulu of the northern group of municipalities, C. Sankaran Nair
C. Sankaran Nair
Sir Chettur Sankaran Nair KCIE was the President of the Indian National Congress in 1897 held at Amraoti. Until present he is the only Keralite to hold the post.-Early life and education:...
and P. Rangaiah Naidu
P. Rangaiah Naidu
Palavai Rangaiah Naidu was an Indian lawyer, politician and Indian independence activist. He was an important leader of the Indian National Congress in its early stages.- Early career :...
from the Corporation of Madras and P. S. Sivaswami Iyer
P. S. Sivaswami Iyer
Sir Pazhamaneri Sundaram Sivaswami Iyer, KCSI, CIE was a prominent lawyer, administrator and statesman who served as the Advocate General of Madras from 1907 to 1911....
, V. Krishnaswamy Iyer
V. Krishnaswamy Iyer
Venkatarama Iyer Krishnaswamy Iyer was an Indian lawyer and High Court judge of Madras. He was involved in the prosecution of a partner of the British banking Company Arbuthnot & Co after the bank crashed on 22 October 1906...
and M. Krishnan Nair
M. Krishnan Nair
M. Krishnan Nair may refer to:* Professor M. Krishnan Nair , Malayalam literary critic and orator* M. Krishnan Nair , retired director of the Regional Cancer Centre in Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala...
from the University of Madras were some of the active members. However, over a period of time, representation by Indian members dwindled, for example, the position of Bashyam Iyengar and Sankaran Nayar in 1902 was occupied by Acworth and Sir George Moore. The council did not meet more than 9 days in a year during the time the Act was in effect.
Further expansion
|
The Indian Councils Act 1909 (popularly called as "Minto-Morley Reforms"), officially introduced the method of electing members to the Council. But it did not provide for direct election of the members. It abolished automatic official (executive) majorities in the Council and gave its members the power to move resolutions upon matters of general public interest and the budget and also to ask supplementary questions. There were a total of 21 elected members and 21 nominated members. The Act allowed up to 16 nominated members to be official and the remaining five were required to be non-officials. The Governor was also authorised to nominate two experts whenever necessary. As before, the Governor, his two executive council members and the Advocate-General were also members of the Council. P. Kesava Pillai, A. S. Krishna Rao, N. Krishnaswami Iyengar, B. N. Sarma
B. N. Sarma
Bayya Narasimheswara Sarma was an Indian lawyer, politician and activist of the Indian independence movement.Sri Rao Sir Bayya Narasimheswara Sarma bahadur K.C.S.I ,was born in 1867 to Bayya Mahadeva Sastry, a Velandu Vaidik brahmin inamdar in vizagapatam ,Madras presidency,now in Andhra Pradesh...
, B. V. Narasimha Iyer, K. Perraju Pantulu, T. V. Seshagiri Iyer
T. V. Seshagiri Iyer
Tiruchendurai Vaidyanatha Seshagiri Iyer was an Indian lawyer and politician who served as a judge of the Madras High Court and represented the University of Madras in the Madras Legislative Council...
, P. Siva Rao, V. S. Srinivasa Sastri, P. Theagaraya Chetty
Theagaroya Chetty
Sir Pitti Theagaraya Chetty KCSI was an eminent lawyer, industrialist and a prominent political leader from the erstwhile Madras province. He was one of the founders of the Justice Party in 1916 along with C. Natesa Mudaliar, Dr. T. M. Nair...
and Yakub Hasan Sait
Yakub Hasan Sait
Maulana Yakub Hasan Sait or simply Yakub Hasan Sait was an Indian businessman, freedom-fighter and politician who served as the Minister for Public Works in the Madras Presidency from 1937 to 1939....
were among the active members.
Diarchy (1920-37)
Based on the recommendations of the Montague-Chelmsford report, the Government of India Act of 1919Government 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...
was enacted. The Act enlarged the provincial legislative councils and increased the strength of elected members to be greater than that of nominated and official members. It introduced a system of dyarchy in the Provinces. Although this Act brought about representative Government in India, the Governor was empowered with overriding powers. It classified the subjects as belonging to either the Centre or the Provinces. The Governor General
Governor-General of India
The Governor-General of India was the head of the British administration in India, and later, after Indian independence, the representative of the monarch and de facto head of state. The office was created in 1773, with the title of Governor-General of the Presidency of Fort William...
could override any law passed by the Provincial councils. It brought about the concept of "Partial Responsible Government" in the provinces. Provincial subjects were divided into two categories - reserved and transferred. Education, Sanitation, Local self government, Agriculture and Industries were listed as the transferred subjects. Law, Finance, Revenue and Home affairs were the reserved subjects. The provincial council could decide the budget in so far it related to the transferred subjects. Executive machinery dealing with those subjects was placed under the direct control of provincial legislature. However, the provincial legislature and the ministers did not have any control over the reserved subjects, which came under the Governor and his Executive council.
|
The Council had a total of 127 members in addition to the ex - officio members of the Governor's Executive Council. Out of the 127, 98 were elected from 61 constituencies of the presidency. The constituencies comprised three arbitrary divisions - 1)communal constituencies such as non-Muhammadan urban, non-Muhammadan rural, non-Brahman urban, Mohamaddan
Islam in India
Islam is the second-most practiced religion in the Republic of India after Hinduism, with more than 13.4% of the country's population ....
urban, Mohamaddan rural, Indian Christian, European and Anglo-Indian 2)special constituencies such as landholders, Universities, planters and trade associations (South India Chamber of Commerce & Nattukottai Nagarathar Association) and 3) territorial constituencies. 28 of the constituencies were reserved for non-Brahmans
Brahmin
Brahmin Brahman, Brahma and Brahmin.Brahman, Brahmin and Brahma have different meanings. Brahman refers to the Supreme Self...
. 29 members were nominated, out of whom a maximum of 19 would be government officials, 5 would represent the Paraiyar
Paraiyar
Paraiyar, Parayar, and Sambavar, anglicised by Europeans as Pariah are a social group found in the Indian states of Tamil Nadu, Kerala and in Sri Lanka . In the Indian state of Tamil Nadu, though they have been enumerated under three different caste names, they have generally been referred to as...
, Pallar
Pallar
The Pallar are a caste from the Indian state of Tamil Nadu. They are mostly agriculturalists in Tamil Nadu, Sri Lanka and amongst the Tamil diaspora...
, Valluvar
Valluvar
Valluvar is a caste belonging to the Hindu community in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu. They are the hereditary priests preaching and practicing Astrology, Astromomy and Medicine in Tamil Nadu.They are the subset of sambavars.- Origin :...
, Mala
Mala (caste)
Mala or Malla is a social group or caste mostly from Andhra Pradesh state of India. Mala or Malla is derived from the Sanskrit word "Malla" which means wrestler. They are one of the dominant Dalit castes of Andhra the other being Madigas.They constitute around 8.5% of the total state population...
, Madiga
Madiga
Madiga is a social group or caste group of Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Maharastra etc. found almost in all Indian states with different names. The people belonging to this community are most oppressed and exploited in the society. The term Madiga is derived from Sanskrit word Maha-Adiga which can be...
, Sakkiliar
Sakkiliar
Arunthathiyar are one of the most marginalized social groups or castes from Tamil Nadu and Arunthathiyar are one of the most marginalized [[social groups]] or castes from [[Tamil Nadu]] and...
, Thottiyar, Cheruman and Holeya
Pulayar
The Pulayar , also Pulayar, Pulaya, or Pulayas or Holeya or Cheramar, are one of the main social groups found in Kerala, Karnataka and in historical Tamil Nadu or Tamilakam.- Traditions :...
communities and 1 would represent the "backward tracts". Including the Executive Council members, the total strength of the legislature was 134.
The first election
Madras Presidency legislative council election, 1920
The first legislative council election to Madras Presidency after the establishment of dyarchical system of government by the Government of India Act, 1919, was held in November 1920. Indian National Congress boycotted the election due to its participation in the Non-cooperation movement...
for the Madras Legislative Council, under this Act was held in November 1920. The first sitting of the Council was inaugurated by the Duke of Connaught
Prince Arthur, Duke of Connaught and Strathearn
Prince Arthur, Duke of Connaught and Strathearn was a member of the shared British and Saxe-Coburg and Gotha royal family who served as the Governor General of Canada, the 10th since Canadian Confederation.Born the seventh child and third son of Queen Victoria and Prince Albert of Saxe-Coburg and...
on 12 January 1921. In total, five such councils were constituted (in 1920, 23
Madras Presidency legislative council election, 1923
The second legislative council election to Madras Presidency after the establishment of dyarchical system of government by the Government of India Act, 1919 was held in 1923. Voter turnout was higher than the previous election. Swarajists, a breakaway group from Indian National Congress...
, 26
Madras Presidency legislative council election, 1926
The third legislative council election to Madras Presidency after the establishment of dyarchical system of government by the Government of India Act, 1919, was held in November 1926. Justice party lost the election to Swaraj Party. However, as the Swaraja Party refused to form the Government, the...
, 30
Madras Presidency legislative council election, 1930
The fourth legislative council election to Madras Presidency after the establishment of dyarchical system of government by the Government of India Act, 1919 in September 1930. Justice party won the election and P. Munuswamy Naidu became the first Chief Minister...
and 34
Madras Presidency legislative council election, 1934
The fifth legislative council election to Madras Presidency after the establishment of dyarchical system of government by the Government of India Act, 1919. The ruling Justice party lost the election and the opposition Swaraj Party emerged as the single largest party. However it refused to form...
). The term of the councils was three years (except for the fourth council which was extended for a year in expectation of abolition of dyarchy ). While the first, second and fourth Councils were controlled by Justice Party
Justice Party (India)
The Justice Party , officially known as South Indian Liberal Federation, was a political party in the Madras Presidency of British India. The party was established in 1917 by T. M. Nair and Theagaroya Chetty as a result of a series of non-Brahmin conferences and meetings in the presidency...
majorities, the third Council was characterised by a fractured verdict and an independent ministry. The fifth council also saw a fractured verdict and a minority Justice government.
Provincial autonomy (1937-50)
|
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 ensured provincial autonomy. It 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 consisted of 215 members, who were further classified into general members and reserved members representing special communities and interests. The Council consisted of a minimum of 54 and a maximum of 56 members. It was a permanent body not subject to dissolution by the Governor and one-third of its members retired every three years. 46 of its members were elected directly by the electorate while the Governor could nominate 8 to 10 members. Similar to the council, the electable members were further classified into general and reserved members. Specific number of seats were reserved (allocated) to various religious and ethnic groups. The Act provided for a limited adult franchise based on property qualifications. Seven million people, roughly 15% of the Madras people holding land or paying urban taxes were qualified to be the electorate. Under this Act, two councils were constituted - the first in 1937
Madras Presidency legislative council election, 1937
The first legislative council election for the Madras Presidency after the establishment of a bicameral legislature by the Government of India Act of 1935 was held in February 1937. The Indian National Congress obtained an majority by winning 27 out of 46 seats in the Legislative Council for which...
and the second 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...
. Both Councils were controlled by 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...
majorities.
In Republic of India (1950-86)
After India became independentIndian independence movement
The term Indian independence movement encompasses a wide area of political organisations, philosophies, and movements which had the common aim of ending first British East India Company rule, and then British imperial authority, in parts of South Asia...
in 1947 and 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...
was adopted in 1950, the Legislative Council continued to be the upper chamber of the legislature of the 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 successor to Madras Presidency. It continued to be called as the "Madras Legislative Council". The Council was a permanent body and was not subject to dissolution. The length of a member's term was six years and one third of the members retired every two years. The strength of the Council was not less than 40 or more than one third of the strength of the Assembly. The following table illustrates how the members of Council were selected:
| Proportion | Method of Selection |
|---|---|
| One-sixth (1/6th) | Nominated by the Governor on the advice of the cabinet. They were supposed to have excelled in fields like arts, science, literature, cooperative movement or social service |
| One-third (1/3rd) | Elected by the members of the Legislative Assembly by proportional representation Proportional representation Proportional representation is a concept in voting systems used to elect an assembly or council. PR means that the number of seats won by a party or group of candidates is proportionate to the number of votes received. For example, under a PR voting system if 30% of voters support a particular... using the Single Transferable Vote System Single transferable vote The single transferable vote is a voting system designed to achieve proportional representation through preferential voting. Under STV, an elector's vote is initially allocated to his or her most preferred candidate, and then, after candidates have been either elected or eliminated, any surplus or... |
| One-third (1/3rd) | Elected by the members of local self governmental bodies like corporations Municipal corporation A municipal corporation is the legal term for a local governing body, including cities, counties, towns, townships, charter townships, villages, and boroughs. Municipal incorporation occurs when such municipalities become self-governing entities under the laws of the state or province in which... , municipalities Municipality A municipality is essentially an urban administrative division having corporate status and usually powers of self-government. It can also be used to mean the governing body of a municipality. A municipality is a general-purpose administrative subdivision, as opposed to a special-purpose district... and district boards. |
| One-twelfth (1/12th) | Elected by an electorate consisting of electors who have held Graduate degrees for a minimum of three years |
| One-twelfth (1/12th) | Elected by an electorate consisting of teachers of secondary schools, colleges and universities with a minimum experience of three years |
The actual strength of the council varied from time to time. During 1952-53, it had a strength of 72. After the formation of 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 on 1 October 1953, its strength came down to 51. In 1956 it decreased to 50 and the next year increased again to 63 - where it remained till the council's abolition. Of those 63, local bodies and the assembly elected 21 each, the teachers and graduates elected 6 each and the remaining 9 were nominated. The Council could not pass legislation on its own - it had to approve or disapprove the laws passed by the Assembly. In case of conflict between the Council and the Assembly, the will of the later would prevail. When Madras state was renamed as 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...
in 1968, the name of the council also changed to "Tamil Nadu Legislative Council".
Abolition
The legislative council was abolished in 1986 by the Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (ADMK) government of M. G. RamachandranM. G. Ramachandran
Maruthur Gopalan Ramachandran , popularly known by his initials , was an Indian film actor, director, producer and politician....
(MGR) . MGR had nominated a Tamil film
Tamil cinema
Tamil cinema is the film industry based in Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India, dedicated to the production of films in the Tamil language. It is based in Chennai's Kodambakkam district, where several South Indian film production companies are headquartered...
actress, "Vennira Aaadai
Vennira Aadai
Vennira Aadai is a 1965 Tamil-language Indian film directed by Sridar with music by M.S.Viswanathan. It starred Sreekanth, Jayalalitha, Nirmala and Moorthy....
" Nirmala (aka A. B. Shanthi) to the Council. Her swearing in ceremony was scheduled for 23 April 1986. Nirmala had earlier declared insolvency and according to Article 102-(1)(c) of the Indian Constitution, an insolvent person can not serve as a member of parliament or state legislature. On 21 April, a lawyer named S. K. Sundaram, filed a public interest writ petition in the Madras High Court
Madras High Court
The Madras High Court is a senior court located at Chennai , in India. The court buildings, which are believed to be the second largest judicial complex in the world, are located near the beach, in one of the city's major business districts....
challenging Nirmala's nomination to the Council. MGR loaned Nirmala a sum of Rupees 4,65,000 from ADMK's party funds to pay off her creditors, so that her insolvency declaration could be annulled. The same day, Nirmala's lawyer Subramaniam Pichai, was able to persuade judge Ramalingam to set aside her insolvency. He used a provision in the Section 31 of The Presidency Towns Insolvency Act of 1909, which allowed a judge to annul an insolvency retrospectively if all debts had been paid in full. This annulment made Nirmala's nomination valid and the writ petition against it was dismissed. However, Nirmala withdrew her nomination to the council. The Governor of Tamil Nadu, Sundar Lal Khurana
Sundar Lal Khurana
Sundar Lal Khurana is an Indian politician who served as the Governor of Delhi from 1981 to 1982, Governor of Pondicherry in 1984 and the Governor of Tamil Nadu from 1982 to 1988.-References:...
asked MGR to explain how Nirmala's nomination was proposed without proper vetting. Miffed with this incident, MGR decided to abolish the council.
On 14 May, a resolution seeking to abolish the council was moved successfully in the legislative assembly. The Tamil Nadu Legislative Council (Abolition) Bill, 1986 was passed by both houses of the Parliament and received the assent of the president on 30 August 1986. The Act came into force on 1 November 1986 and the council was abolished.
Revival attempt
The Dravida Munnetra KazhagamDravida 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...
(DMK) has so far made three unsuccessful attempts to revive the council. Revival of the Legislative Council was one of the promises included in the election manifesto of 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...
(DMK) in the 2006 Assembly elections. The DMK won the 2006 assembly election and 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...
became Chief minister. In his inaugural address to the 13th Legislative Assembly delivered on 24 May 2006, Governor Surjit Singh Barnala
Surjit Singh Barnala
Surjit Singh Barnala is an Indian politician from Punjab. During his career in Indian politics, he has been Governor of four states, Chief Minister of Punjab, a minister in the union cabinet twice and a vice-presidential candidate once.-Early life:Barnala was born in Ateli village, which was then...
said steps will be taken to move the necessary constitutional amendments for reviving the council. On 12 April 2010, the Legislative Assembly passed a resolution seeking to revive the Council. The DMK's earlier attempts to revive the council, when it was in power during 1989-91 and 1996-2001 were not successful, as it did not possess both the two-thirds majority in the Legislative Assembly and a friendly union government
Government of India
The Government of India, officially known as the Union Government, and also known as the Central Government, was established by the Constitution of India, and is the governing authority of the union of 28 states and seven union territories, collectively called the Republic of India...
necessary for it to be done. On both occasions, the ADMK governments that followed the DMK governments passed counter resolutions to rescind them (in October 1991 and July 2001 respectively). The Tamil Nadu Legislative Council Bill, 2010 was approved by the Indian cabinet on 4 May 2010 and was passed by both the houses of the Indian Parliament. Constituencies for the new house were identified in September 2010. Work on preparation of electoral rolls for them began on October 2010 and was completed by January 2011. However in February 2011, the Supreme Court of India
Supreme Court of India
The Supreme Court of India is the highest judicial forum and final court of appeal as established by Part V, Chapter IV of the Constitution of India...
stayed the elections to the new council, till the petitions challenging its revival could be heard.
In the 2011 Assembly elections, the AIADMK came out with a sweeping majority. The AIADMK government headed by J.Jayalalitha expressed its intention not to revive the council. The government once again passed a counter resolution to withdraw the attempt to revive the council.
Location
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 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 legislative 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 legislature 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 legislature moved back to Fort St. George in 1956. From December 1956 till January 2010, the Fort remained the home to the legislature . In 2004, during the 12th assembly, the ADMK Government under J. Jayalalitha made unsuccessful attempts to shift the assembly (the council had been abolished by then), 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 assembly functioned in the new assembly building during March 2010 - May 2011. In May 2011, the Tamil Nadu legislature was moved back to Fort St. George.
List of historical locations where the Tamil Nadu Legislative Council 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 - 1986 | Assembly Hall, Fort St. George |
Chief Ministers from the Council
During its existence as the upper chamber of Tamil Nadu Legislature, the Council has been used twice to appoint non members of the legislatures as Chief Minister. The first time this happened was in 1952, when C. RajagopalachariC. 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...
(Rajaji) was nominated by Governor Sri Prakasa
Sri Prakasa
Sri Prakasa was an Indian politician, freedom-fighter and administrator. He served as India's first High Commissioner to Pakistan from 1947 to 1949, Governor of Assam from 1949 to 1950, Governor of Madras from 1952 to 1956 and Governor of Bombay from 1956 to 1962.Sri Prakasa was born in Varanasi...
to the Council so that Rajaji could become chief minister. The second time was in 1967 when C. N. Annadurai
C. N. Annadurai
Conjeevaram Natarajan Annadurai , popularly called Anna , or Arignar Anna was a former Chief Minister of the South Indian state of Tamil Nadu...
became the chief minister first and then got himself elected to the Council.
Presiding Officers
During 1861-1937, the presiding officer of the Madras Legislative Council was known as the "President of the Council". From its establishment in 1861 till dyarchy was introduced in 1921, the Governor of MadrasGovernors of Madras
-English Agents:In 1639, the grant of Madras to the English was finalized between the factors of the Masulipatnam factory, represented by Francis Day, and the Raja of Chandragiri. In 1640, Andrew Cogan, the chief of the Masulipatnam factory, made his way to Madras in the company of Francis Day and...
was also the President of the Council. After dyarchy introduced, the first and second council presidents, Perungavalur Rajagopalachari and L. D. Swamikannu Pillai
L. D. Swamikannu Pillai
Diwan Bahadur Lewis Dominic Swamikannu Pillai CIE was an Indian politician, historian, linguist, astronomer and administrator who served as the second President of the Madras Legislative Council.- Early life :...
, were appointed by the Governor himself. The presidents who came after them were chosen by the Council itself. During 1937-86, the presiding officer was called as the "Chairman of the Council". The following table lists the presiding officers of the Council.
| # | Name | Took office | Left office | Political party |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Governors of Madras (1861–1920) | ||||
| 1 | William Thomas Denison William Denison Sir William Thomas Denison, KCB was Lieutenant Governor of Van Diemen's Land from 1847 to 1855, Governor of New South Wales from 20 January 1855 to 22 January 1861, and Governor of Madras from 1861 to 1866.... |
18 February 1861 | 26 November 1863 | |
| 2 | Edward Maltby (acting) | 26 November 1863 | 18 January 1864 | |
| 3 | William Thomas Denison William Denison Sir William Thomas Denison, KCB was Lieutenant Governor of Van Diemen's Land from 1847 to 1855, Governor of New South Wales from 20 January 1855 to 22 January 1861, and Governor of Madras from 1861 to 1866.... |
18 January 1864 | 27 March 1866 | |
| 4 | Lord Napier Francis Napier, 10th Lord Napier Francis Napier, 10th Lord Napier and 1st Baron Ettrick, KT, PC , was a Scottish polyglot, diplomat and colonial administrator. He served as the British Minister to the United States from 1857 to 1859, Netherlands from 1859 to 1860, Russia from 1861 to 1864, Prussia from 1864 to 1866 and as the... |
27 March 1866 | 19 February 1872 | |
| 5 | Alexander John Arbuthnot Alexander John Arbuthnot Sir Alexander John Arbuthnot KCSI CIE was a British official and writer. Educated at Rugby School.Arbuthnot served in Madras as the director of Public Instruction ; he was a key force in the incorporation of Madras University ; he was the chief secretary to the Madras Government ; he was a... (acting) |
19 February 1872 | 15 May 1872 | |
| 6 | Lord Hobart Vere Henry Hobart, Lord Hobart Vere Henry Hobart, Lord Hobart was a British peer and colonial administrator.Hobart was born on 8 December 1818 at Welbourne, Lincolnshire to Augustus Edward Hobart-Hampden, 6th Earl of Buckinghamshire and Mary Williams. In 1840, he graduated from Trinity College, Oxford with a Bachelor of Arts... |
15 May 1872 | 29 April 1875 | |
| 7 | William Rose Robinson (acting) | 29 April 1875 | 23 November 1875 | |
| 8 | Duke of Buckingham and Chandos | 23 November 1875 | 20 December 1880 | |
| 9 | William Huddleston (acting) | 24 May 1881 | 5 November 1881 | |
| 10 | Mountstuart Elphinstone Grant Duff Mountstuart Elphinstone Grant Duff Sir Mountstuart Elphinstone Grant Duff GCSI, CIE, PC FRS , known as M. E. Grant Duff before 1887 and as Sir Mountstuart Grant Duff thereafter, was a Scottish politician, administrator and author... |
5 November 1881 | 8 December 1886 | |
| 11 | Robert Bourke, Baron Connemara Robert Bourke, 1st Baron Connemara Robert Bourke, 1st Baron Connemara GCIE, PC was a British Conservative politician and colonial administrator... |
8 December 1886 | 1 December 1890 | |
| 12 | John Henry Garstin | 1 December 1890 | 23 January 1891 | |
| 13 | Bentley Lawley, Baron Wenlock Beilby Lawley, 3rd Baron Wenlock Beilby Lawley, 3rd Baron Wenlock GCSI, GCIE, KCB, VD, PC was a British soldier, Liberal politician who sat in the House of Commons in 1880 and administrator who was the Governor of Madras from 1891 to 1896.-Early life:... |
23 January 1891 | 18 March 1896 | |
| 14 | Arthur Elibank Havelock | 18 March 1896 | 28 December 1900 | |
| 15 | Arthur Oliver Villiers-Russell, Baron Ampthill Arthur Russell, 2nd Baron Ampthill Oliver Villiers Russell, 2nd Baron Ampthill, GCSI, GCIE, DL, JP was a British peer, rower and administrator who served as the Governor of Madras from October 1900 to February 1906 and acted as the Viceroy of India from April to December 1904.Oliver Russell was born on February 19, 1869 to Odo... |
28 December 1900 | 30 April 1904 | |
| 16 | James Thompson (acting) | 30 April 1904 | 13 December 1904 | |
| 17 | Arthur Oliver Villiers-Russell, Baron Ampthill Arthur Russell, 2nd Baron Ampthill Oliver Villiers Russell, 2nd Baron Ampthill, GCSI, GCIE, DL, JP was a British peer, rower and administrator who served as the Governor of Madras from October 1900 to February 1906 and acted as the Viceroy of India from April to December 1904.Oliver Russell was born on February 19, 1869 to Odo... |
13 December 1904 | 15 February 1906 | |
| 18 | Gabriel Stoles (acting) | 15 February 1906 | 28 March 1906 | |
| 19 | Arthur Lawley, Baron Wenlock Arthur Lawley, 6th Baron Wenlock Arthur Lawley, 6th Baron Wenlock, GCIE, KCMG was a British politician, soldier and administrator who served as the administrator of Matabeleland, Governor of Western Australia, Lieutenant-Governor of Transvaal and Governor of Madras.Lawley was born in 1860 to 2nd Baron Wenlock and his wife, Lady... |
28 March 1906 | 3 November 1911 | |
| 20 | Thomas David Gibson-Carmichael, Baron Carmichael Thomas Gibson-Carmichael, 1st Baron Carmichael Thomas David Gibson-Carmichael, 1st Baron Carmichael GCSI, GCIE, KCMG, DL , known as Sir Thomas Gibson-Carmichael, Bt, between 1891 and 1912, was a Scottish Liberal politician and colonial administrator.... |
3 November 1911 | 30 March 1912 | |
| 21 | Sir Murray Hammick (acting) | 30 March 1912 | 30 October 1912 | |
| 22 | John Sinclair, Baron Pentland John Sinclair, 1st Baron Pentland John Sinclair, 1st Baron Pentland, GCSI, GCIE was a Scottish Liberal Party politician, soldier, peer, administrator and Privy Councillor who served as the Secretary of Scotland from 1905 to 1912 and the Governor of Madras from 1912 to 1919.Baron Pentland was born John Sinclair to Sir John... |
30 October 1912 | 29 March 1919 | |
| 23 | Sir Alexander Gordon Cardew Alexander Cardew Sir Alexander Gordon Cardew KCSI was an Indian civil servant of British origin who served as the acting Governor of Madras from 29 March 1919 to 10 April 1919.-Early life:... |
29 March 1919 | 10 April 1919 | |
| 24 | George Freeman Freeman-Thomas, Baron Willingdon Freeman Freeman-Thomas, 1st Marquess of Willingdon Major Freeman Freeman-Thomas, 1st Marquess of Willingdon was a British Liberal politician and administrator who served as Governor General of Canada, the 13th since Canadian Confederation, and as Viceroy and Governor-General of India, the country's 22nd.Freeman-Thomas was born in England and... |
10 April 1919 | 12 April 1924 | |
| During dyarchy (1920–1937) | ||||
| 1 | Sir P. Rajagopalachari | 1920 | 1923 | Non-Partisan |
| 2 | L. D. Swamikannu Pillai L. D. Swamikannu Pillai Diwan Bahadur Lewis Dominic Swamikannu Pillai CIE was an Indian politician, historian, linguist, astronomer and administrator who served as the second President of the Madras Legislative Council.- Early life :... |
1923 | September 1925 | Justice Party Justice Party (India) The Justice Party , officially known as South Indian Liberal Federation, was a political party in the Madras Presidency of British India. The party was established in 1917 by T. M. Nair and Theagaroya Chetty as a result of a series of non-Brahmin conferences and meetings in the presidency... |
| 3 | M. Ratnaswami | September 1925 | 1926 | |
| 4 | C. V. S. Narasimha Raju | 1926 | 1930 | Swaraj Party Swaraj Party The Swaraj Party, Swarajaya Party or Swarajya Party, established as the Congress-Khilafat Swarajaya Party, was a political party formed in India in 1922 that sought greater self-government and political freedoms for the Indian people from the British Raj. It was inspired by the concept of Swaraj... |
| 5 | B. Ramachandra Reddi | 1930 | 1937 | Justice Party |
| During Provincial Autonomy (1937–1946) | ||||
| 1 | U. Rama Rao U. Rama Rao U. Rama Rao or U. Rama Rau was an Indian politician from the Madras Presidency. He belonged to the Indian National Congress.... |
1937 | 1945 | 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... |
| In Republic of India (1950–1986) | ||||
| 1 | R. B. Ramakrishna Raju | 1946 | 1952 | Indian National Congress |
| 2 | P. V. Cherian P. V. Cherian P. V. Cherian was an Indian physician and politician. He was the Governor of Maharashtra from 14th Nov 1964 till 8th Nov 1969. -Early life and medical career:... |
1952 | 20 April 1964 | Indian National Congress |
| 3 | M. A. Manickavelu Naicker M. A. Manickavelu Naicker M. Alagappa Manickavelu Naicker or simply, M. A. Manickavelu was an Indian politician of the Indian National Congress. He served as the Minister of Revenue for the Madras state from 1953 to 1962. He also served as a member of the Rajya Sabha from 1962 to 1964... |
1964 | 1970 | Indian National Congress |
| 4 | C. P. Chitrarasu C. P. Chitrarasu C. P. Chitrarasu was an Indian politician and writer from Tamil Nadu. He was the chairman of the Tamil Nadu Legislative Council during 1970-76. He was nicknamed Sindhanai Sirpi .-Biography:... |
1970 | 1976 | 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... |
| 5 | M. P. Sivagnanam | 1976 | 1986 | Tamil Arasu Kazhagam Tamil Arasu Kazhagam Tamil Arasu Kazhagam was an Indian political party founded by M. P. Sivagnanam in Tamil Nadu. It was established as an association in 1946... |
See also
- Tamil Nadu Legislative Assembly
- List of Chief Ministers of Tamil Nadu
- Governors of MadrasGovernors of Madras-English Agents:In 1639, the grant of Madras to the English was finalized between the factors of the Masulipatnam factory, represented by Francis Day, and the Raja of Chandragiri. In 1640, Andrew Cogan, the chief of the Masulipatnam factory, made his way to Madras in the company of Francis Day and...
- List of Speakers of the Tamil Nadu Legislative Assembly