Assembly

Indian Councils Act restores Madras legislative powers

Through the Indian Councils Act 1861, the Madras Presidency regained law-making powers and gained an advisory Madras Legislative Council.

Morley-Minto reforms

The Indian Councils Act 1909 introduced elections to the legislative councils, including Madras, and admitted Indians to the Madras executive council.

Government of India Act 1919 introduces dyarchy

Based on the Montagu-Chelmsford Report, the Act introduced dyarchy in the provinces, including Madras, transferring some subjects to elected ministers.

Justice Party wins first Madras Legislative Council election

The Justice Party won the first election held under the Montagu-Chelmsford dyarchy reforms in the Madras Presidency.

A. Subbarayalu Reddiar becomes first Premier of Madras

A. Subbarayalu Reddiar of the Justice Party took office as the first Chief Minister (Premier) of the Madras Presidency.

Justice Party wins second council election

The Justice Party retained power in the 1923 Madras Legislative Council election despite internal dissent.

Panagal ministry survives no-confidence motion

On the first day of the new council, a no-confidence motion against the Raja of Panagal's Justice ministry was defeated 65 to 44.

Muthulakshmi Reddy becomes first woman legislator in India

Doctor and reformer Muthulakshmi Reddy was nominated to the Madras Legislative Council, becoming the first woman legislator in British India.

P. Subbarayan forms independent ministry

After the Swaraj Party won the 1926 election but declined office, P. Subbarayan formed a ministry of independents with nominated support.

Muthulakshmi Reddy resigns over Gandhi's arrest

Muthulakshmi Reddy resigned from the Madras Legislative Council in protest against the arrest of Mahatma Gandhi during civil disobedience.

Justice Party returns to power under B. Munuswamy Naidu

The Justice Party won the 1930 election, boycotted by the Congress, and B. Munuswamy Naidu became Premier.

Swarajists largest party in 1934 Madras council election

The Swaraj Party won the most seats in the last dyarchy-era Madras council election but refused office; the Raja of Bobbili stayed on.

Congress wins 1937 Madras Presidency election

The Indian National Congress won a large majority in the first Madras Legislative Assembly election under provincial autonomy, routing the Justice Party.

Muthuramalinga Thevar defeats the Raja of Ramnad

As the Congress candidate, Muthuramalinga Thevar beat the Raja of Ramnad in Ramanathapuram in the 1937 election.

1946 Madras Presidency election

The Congress won a majority in the 1946 Madras Legislative Assembly election, ending the period of Governor's rule.

Muhammad Ismail leads the Muslim League opposition in Madras

M. Muhammad Ismail, later called Quaid-e-Millath, became Leader of the Opposition in the Madras Legislative Assembly.

Madras members join the Constituent Assembly

With a sizeable contingent from the Madras Province, the Constituent Assembly of India held its first sitting in New Delhi.

P. S. Kumaraswamy Raja becomes Premier of Madras

P. S. Kumaraswamy Raja succeeded O. P. Ramaswamy Reddiyar as Premier and later became the first Chief Minister of Madras State.

Madras State established under the Constitution

With the Constitution of India in force, the Madras Province became Madras State, a Part A state of the Indian Republic.

First general election; Rajaji forms government

After the first general election left Congress short of a majority, C. Rajagopalachari was sworn in as Chief Minister of Madras State.

DMK contests its first election

Won by Kamaraj's Congress, the 1957 Assembly election was the first in which the DMK took part after its founding.

DMK becomes main opposition in 1962 election

Congress under Kamaraj retained power in 1962, while the DMK won 50 seats to become the principal opposition party.

DMK wins the 1967 Assembly election

A DMK-led alliance defeated the Congress, ending Congress rule in Madras State; Kamaraj lost his own seat.

Kamaraj loses his seat to student leader P. Seenivasan

In the 1967 election, Congress president K. Kamaraj was defeated in Virudhunagar by the young DMK candidate P. Seenivasan.

Assembly adopts the two-language policy

The Madras Legislative Assembly scrapped the three-language formula and removed Hindi from the school curriculum, adopting Tamil and English.

DMK wins 184 seats in the 1971 election

The DMK, allied with Indira Gandhi's Congress, won a landslide in the first Assembly election held under the name Tamil Nadu.

Assembly adopts state autonomy resolution

Chief Minister Karunanidhi moved a resolution in the Assembly demanding state autonomy, based on the Rajamannar Committee's recommendations.

AIADMK wins assembly election, M. G. Ramachandran becomes Chief Minister

The AIADMK-led alliance won the 1977 assembly election and M. G. Ramachandran was sworn in as Chief Minister.

AIADMK re-elected, MGR sworn in for second term

Months after the DMK and Congress swept the Lok Sabha polls, the AIADMK won the May 1980 assembly election, bringing MGR back as Chief Minister.

AIADMK wins 1984 election while MGR is in hospital abroad

Contesting from a hospital in the United States, MGR led the AIADMK-Congress alliance to victory in the 1984 assembly election.

Tamil Nadu Legislative Council abolished

The upper house of the Tamil Nadu legislature, in existence since 1921, was abolished at the request of the MGR government.

Janaki Ramachandran ministry and President's rule

V. N. Janaki became Tamil Nadu's first woman Chief Minister, but her ministry was dismissed within weeks and President's rule followed.

DMK returns to power, Karunanidhi Chief Minister again

After 13 years in opposition, the DMK won the January 1989 assembly election and M. Karunanidhi became Chief Minister for the third time.

AIADMK factions merge under Jayalalithaa

The two AIADMK factions merged and accepted J. Jayalalithaa as general secretary; she became the first woman Leader of the Opposition in the Assembly.

Clash in the Tamil Nadu Assembly on budget day

DMK and AIADMK members clashed in the Assembly as Karunanidhi rose to present the budget; Jayalalithaa left vowing to return only as Chief Minister.

Jayalalithaa becomes Chief Minister for the first time

The AIADMK-Congress alliance swept the June 1991 election and J. Jayalalithaa became Chief Minister, the youngest in the state's history at the time.

DMK-TMC alliance wins 1996 election

The DMK-TMC alliance won 221 of 234 assembly seats and all 39 Lok Sabha seats; M. Karunanidhi became Chief Minister for the fourth time.

AIADMK alliance wins the 2001 Assembly election

The AIADMK-led alliance defeated the DMK government and J. Jayalalithaa was sworn in as Chief Minister for the second time.

DMK forms a minority government

M. Karunanidhi became Chief Minister for the fifth time, heading a DMK government that depended on outside support from the Congress.

New Assembly-Secretariat complex inaugurated

A new legislature and secretariat building on Anna Salai was opened, but the next government moved back to Fort St. George and turned it into a hospital.

AIADMK returns to power in 2011

The AIADMK alliance won a large majority and J. Jayalalithaa became Chief Minister for the third time; the DMDK became the main opposition.

India's Prime Minister skips CHOGM in Colombo after Tamil Nadu pressure

After a unanimous Tamil Nadu Assembly resolution, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh stayed away from the Commonwealth summit in Colombo.

Amma Master Health Check-Up

Jayalalithaa announced low-cost comprehensive health check-ups in government hospitals and twice-weekly tests at primary health centres.

AIADMK retains power in 2016

Winning a second term in a row, the AIADMK became the first party in power in Tamil Nadu to be returned to office since 1984.

DMK wins 2021 election; M. K. Stalin becomes Chief Minister

The DMK-led alliance won the 2021 Assembly election and M. K. Stalin was sworn in as Chief Minister for the first time.

Assembly passes NEET exemption bill

The Assembly passed a bill to admit students to medical courses on Class 12 marks instead of NEET, and re-passed it after the Governor returned it.

Governor R. N. Ravi walks out of the Assembly

Governor R. N. Ravi left the Assembly after it resolved to record only the government-prepared address, which he had departed from.

Death of Vijayakanth

Actor and DMDK founder Vijayakanth, a former Leader of the Opposition, died in Chennai.

TVK wins most seats in 2026; Vijay becomes Chief Minister

In its first election the TVK became the largest party with 108 seats, and C. Joseph Vijay was sworn in as Chief Minister with the support of allies.