Elections in Tamil Nadu
Elections in Tamil Nadu are conducted every five years to elect the State assembly and its share of members to the Lok Sabha. There are 234 assembly constituencies and 39 Lok Sabha constituencies. The state has conducted 15 assembly elections and 16 Lok Sabha elections since independence.
Assembly constituencies
Tamil Nadu has 234 assembly constituencies. The Chief Minister of the state is elected by legislators of the political party or coalition commanding an assembly majority, and serves a five-year term with a provision of re-election. The Governor is the head of state, but his or her role is largely ceremonial.The Lok Sabha is the directly elected lower house of the Parliament of India. As of 2014 there have been sixteen Lok Sabhas elected by the people of India. Tamil Nadu has 39 Lok Sabha constituencies.
Pre-Independence elections
Madras Presidency Legislative Council election
| Year | Election | Winning Party/Coalition | Leader | Elected Chief Minister | Opposition | Opposition Leader |
| 1920-1921 | First Presidency Council | Justice Party | P. Theagaroya Chetty | A. Subbarayalu Reddiar | Independents | n/a |
| 1923 | Second Presidency Council | Justice Party | P. Theagaroya Chetty | Panagal Raja | Anti-ministerial | |
| 1926 | Third Presidency Council | Swaraj Party | S. Srinivasa Iyengar | P. Subbarayan | Justice Party | Raja of Bobbili |
| 1930 | Fourth Presidency Council | Justice Party | P. Munuswamy Naidu | P. Munuswamy Naidu | Independent Nationalist Party | P. Subbarayan |
| 1934 | Fifth Presidency Council | Swaraj Party | Sathyamurthy | Raja of Bobbili | Justice Party | Raja of Bobbili |
Madras Presidency Legislative Assembly election
Post-Independence elections
Madras State Legislative Assembly election
The Madras state was created in 1950 when India became a republic. In 1968, the name of Madras state was changed to Tamil Nadu.| Year | Election | Winning Party/Coalition | Chief Minister |
| 1952 | First Assembly | Indian National Congress* | 1) C. Rajagopalachari 2) K. Kamaraj |
| 1957 | Second Assembly | Indian National Congress | K. KamarajK. Kamaraj M. Bakthavatsalam |
| 1967 | Fourth Assembly | Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam | 1) C.N. Annadurai 2) M. Karunanidhi |
Tamil Nadu Legislative Assembly election
| Year | Election | Winning Party/Coalition | Chief Minister | |
| 1971 | Fifth Assembly | Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam | M. Karunanidhi | |
| 1977 | Sixth Assembly | Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam | M.G. Ramachandran | |
| 1980 | Seventh Assembly | Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam | M.G. Ramachandran | |
| 1984 | Eighth Assembly | Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam | M.G. Ramachandran Janaki Ramachandran | |
| 1989 | Ninth Assembly | Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam | M. Karunanidhi | J. Jayalalithaa |
| 1996 | Eleventh Assembly | Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam | M. Karunanidhi | |
| 2001 | Twelfth Assembly | Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam ADMK+ 196/234 ADMK-132, TMC-23, PMK-20, INC-7 DMK+ 37; DMK-31 | J. Jayalalithaa O. Panneerselvam J. Jayalalithaa | |
| 2006 | Thirteenth Assembly | Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam† DMK+ 163/234, DMK-96, INC-34, PMK-18 AIADMK+ 69/234, ADMK-61/69 | M. Karunanidhi | |
| 2011 | Fourteenth Assembly | Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam AIADMK+ 203/234, ADMK-150/203, DMDK-29 CPI/M 10+9 DMK+ 31 | J. Jayalalithaa O. Panneerselvam J. Jayalalithaa | |
| 2016 | Fifteenth Assembly | Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam + 134 DMK+ 98 PWF 0 PMK 0 | J. Jayalalithaa O. Panneerselvam Edappadi K. Palaniswami | |
| 2021 | Sixteenth Assembly | TBA | TBA |
- Note: In 1952, no party could form a majority, which resulted in the first government in the state that was formed without a majority.
By-elections
Election Maps (1977-2016)
Lok Sabha elections
17 Lok Sabha elections have been contested in India since independence starting 1951. The elections held in Tamil Nadu are listed below.| Year | Lok Sabha Election | Winning Party/Coalition | Total Seats | Seats won | |
| 1951 | First Lok Sabha | Indian National Congress | |||
| 1957 | Second Lok Sabha | Indian National Congress | |||
| 1962 | Third Lok Sabha | Indian National Congress | |||
| 1967 | Fourth Lok Sabha | United Front * | |||
| 1971 | Fifth Lok Sabha | Congress alliance | |||
| 1977 | Sixth Lok Sabha | Congress alliance * | 39 | 34 | |
| 1980 | Seventh Lok Sabha | Congress alliance - 37/39, AIADMK - 2 seats | 39 | 37 | |
| 1984 | Eighth Lok Sabha | Congress alliance | 39 | 37 | |
| 1989 | Ninth Lok Sabha | Congress alliance | 39 | 38 | |
| 1991 | Tenth Lok Sabha | Congress alliance | 39 | 39 | |
| 1996 | Eleventh Lok Sabha | United Front | 39 | 39 | |
| 1998 | Twelfth Lok Sabha | National Democratic Alliance - 30/39, DMK+TMC= 8-9 seats | 39 | 30 | |
| 1999 | Thirteenth Lok Sabha | National Democratic Alliance - 26/39 seats | 39 | 26 | |
| 2004 | Fourteenth Lok Sabha | United Progressive Alliance - 39/39 | 39 | 39 | |
| 2009 | Fifteenth Lok Sabha | United Progressive Alliance 27 out of 39; ADMK - 10-12 seats | 39 | 27 | |
| 2014 | Sixteenth Lok Sabha | All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam | 39 | 37 | |
| 2019 | Seventeenth Lok Sabha | United Progressive Alliance - 37/38, ADMK - 1 seat | 38 | 37 |
- Note: In 1967, DMK and its 25 newly elected MPs supported the Congress, under Indira Gandhi after the election.
- Note: Even though ADMK supported and campaigned with Congress for the 1977 election, after the loss nationally, ADMK and its newly elected 17 MPs supported Morarji Desai and the Janata Party and its alliance, giving them 20 seats while the other 17 seats and 2 seats were in the opposition with Indira Gandhi.
Election Maps (1977-2014)