Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Abbreviation | DMK |
| President | M. K. Stalin |
| General Secretary | Duraimurugan |
| Parliamentary Chairperson | Kanimozhi Karunanidhi |
| Rajya Sabha Leader | Tiruchi Siva |
| Lok Sabha Leader | T. R. Baalu |
| Treasurer | T. R. Baalu |
| Founder | C. N. Annadurai |
| Founded | 17 September 1949 (76 years ago) (1949-09-17) |
| Split from | Dravidar Kazhagam |
| Preceded by | Justice Party (1917–1944) Dravidar Kazhagam (1944–1949) |
| Headquarters | Anna Arivalayam, 367–369,Anna Salai,Teynampet, Chennai - 600018,Tamil Nadu,India |
| Student wing | Maanavar Ani |
| Youth wing | Ilaignar Ani |
| Women's wing | Magalir Ani |
| Labour wing | Labour Progressive Federation (LPF) |
| Ideology | |
| ECI Status | State Party[8] |
| Alliance |
Former Alliances
|
| Seats in Rajya Sabha | 10 / 245 |
| Seats in Lok Sabha | 22 / 543 |
| Seats in Tamil Nadu Legislative Assembly | 133 / 234 |
| Seats in Puducherry Legislative Assembly | 6 / 30 |
| Number of states and union territories in government | 1 / 31 |
| Election symbol | |
 (The rising sun) | |
| Party flag | |
 | |
| Website | |
www | |
TheDravida Munnetra Kazhagam (Tamil pronunciation:[t̪iɾaːʋiɖɐmunːeːtrɐkkɐɻɐɡɐm];transl. Dravidian Progressive Federation;[9]abbr.DMK) is an Indiansecularprogressive political party based in the state ofTamil Nadu, where it is currently the ruling party, and the union territory ofPuducherry, where it is currently the main opposition.[10]
The DMK was founded on 17 September 1949 byC. N. Annadurai as a breakaway faction from theDravidar Kazhagam, headed byPeriyar.[11][12][13] The DMK was headed by Annadurai as the general secretary from 1949 until his death on 4 February 1969.[14] He also served as thechief minister of Tamil Nadu from 1967 to 1969. Under Annadurai, in 1967 the DMK became the first party other than theIndian National Congress to win state-level elections with a clear majority on its own in India.M. Karunanidhi followed Annadurai as the first president of the party from 1969 until his death on 7 August 2018.[15] He also served as the chief minister for five non-consecutive terms, in two of which he was dismissed by the Union government.[16] After Karunanidhi's death, his son and former deputy,M. K. Stalin, succeeded as the party president and as a chief minister of Tamil Nadu from May 2021.[17]
The DMK became the fifth-largest party in theLok Sabha after the2024 Indian general election.[18] It currently holds 126 seats in theTamil Nadu Legislative Assembly, where the DMK-ledSecular Progressive Alliance holds 159 out of 234 seats.[19]
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DMK traces its roots to theJustice Party founded byC. Natesa Mudaliar in 1916, in the presence ofP. Theagaraya Chetty,P. T. Rajan,T. M. Nair,Arcot Ramasamy Mudaliar and a few others inVictoria Public HallMadras Presidency.[20] The Justice Party, whose objectives included social equality and justice, came to power in the first general elections to theMadras Presidency in 1920.[21] Communal division betweenBrahmins and non-Brahmins began in the presidency during the late-19th and early-20th century, mainly due tocaste prejudices and disproportionate Brahminical representation in government jobs. The Justice Party's foundation marked the culmination of several efforts to establish an organization to represent the non-Brahmins in Madras and is seen as the start of theDravidian movement.[22][23][24] In 1935,Periyar, a popular reformist leader at that time, joined the Justice Party.
In the 1937 elections, the Justice Party lost and theIndian National Congress underC. Rajagopalachari (Rajaji) came to power in Madras Presidency. Rajaji's introduction ofHindi as a compulsory subject in schools led to theanti-Hindi agitations, led by Periyar and his associates.[25][26][27]
In August 1944, Periyar created the 'Dravidar Kazhagam' (DK) movement out of the Justice Party and theSelf-Respect Movement at the Salem Provincial Conference.[28] The DK, conceived as a movement and not a political party, insisted on an independent nation for Dravidians calledDravida Nadu consisting of areas that were covered under the Madras Presidency.[28]
Over the years, many disagreements arose between Periyar and his followers. In 1949,C. N. Annadurai and other members decided to take part in electoral politics and Periyar had strong objection on it.Annadurai and several of his followers decided to split from the DK movement and form the DMK.[29][30]
The Dravidian philosophy played a key role in the DMK at the helm of administration. It was described it as the earliestsubaltern movement in the history of theIndian subcontinent politics to have political representation from former lower castes. This led to greater political participation, which improved representation of the emergent strata, enriched civic life, and subsequently strengthened pluralist democracy in the region.[31]
The DMK's initial participation in electoral politics, in the1957 legislative assembly elections, was mixed. While it won 15 seats, many prominent leaders such as Annadurai andV. R. Nedunchezhiyan were defeated. It fared somewhat better in the1962 elections, winning 50 seats and becoming the main opposition party.[32]
The DMK inherited the anti-Hindi imposition policies of its parent organization, DK. Founder C.N. Annadurai had earlier participated in the anti-Hindi imposition agitations during 1938–40 and throughout the 1940s.
In July 1953, the DMK launched anagitation against the Union government's proposed name-change ofKallakudi to Dalmiapuram. They claimed that the town's proposed new name, proposed to be named afterRamkrishna Dalmia, symbolized the exploitation of South India by the North.[33][34] On 15 July,M. Karunanidhi and other DMK members removed the Hindi name from Dalmiapuram railway station's name board and protested on the tracks. In the altercation with the police that followed the protests, two DMK members lost their lives, and several others, including Karunanidhi andKannadasan, were arrested.[35]
The DMK continued its anti-Hindi Imposition policies throughout the 1950s, along with the secessionist demand forDravida Nadu, which initially adopted a more radical stance than the Dravida Kazhagam.[36] On 28 January 1956, Annadurai, along with Periyar and Rajaji, signed a resolution passed by the Academy of Tamil Culture endorsing the continuation of English as the official language.[37][38] On 21 September 1957, the DMK convened an anti-Hindi conference to protest against the imposition of Hindi. It observed 13 October 1957 as "anti-Hindi day".[39][40]
On 31 July 1960, another open-air anti-Hindi conference was held inKodambakkam, Madras.[41] In November 1963, DMK dropped its secessionist demand in the wake of theSino-Indian War and the passage of the anti-secessionist 16th Amendment to theIndian Constitution. The anti-Hindi stance remained and hardened with the passage ofOfficial Languages Act of 1963.[42] The DMK's view on Hindi's eligibility for official language status were reflected in Annadurai's response to the "numerical superiority of Hindi" argument: "If we had to accept the principle of numerical superiority while selecting our national bird, the choice would have fallen not on the peacock but on the common crow."[43]
In the1967 assembly election, DMK came to power in theMadras State, 18 years after its formation and 10 years after it had first entered electoral politics. This began the Dravidian era in the Madras province, which later becameTamil Nadu. In 1967, the Congress lost nine states to opposition parties, but it was only in Madras that a single non-Congress Party won a majority.[44] The electoral victory of 1967 is also reputed to be an electoral fusion among the non-Congress parties to avoid a split in the opposition votes.Rajagopalachari, a former senior leader of the Congress Party, had by then left the Congress and launched the right-wingSwatantra Party. He played a vital role in bringing about the electoral fusion amongst the opposition parties to align against the Congress.[45] Following the DMK's victory in the 1967 election, Annadurai formed a cabinet that was the youngest in India at the time.[46]
Self-respect marriages were legalized in India during Annadurai's tenure. Such marriages did not involve priests presiding over the ceremonies, and thus aBrahmin was not needed to carry out the wedding.[47] Self-respect marriages were a brainchild of Periyar, who regarded the then conventional marriages as mere financial arrangements which led to great debt throughdowry in many cases. Self-respect marriages, according to him, encouraged inter-caste marriages and causedarranged marriages to be replaced bylove marriages.[48]
Annadurai's party was among the first in India to include a promise of subsidized rice in its election manifesto. He promised one rupee a measure of rice, which he initially implemented once in government, but had to withdraw later. Subsidizing rice costs are still used as anelection promise in Tamil Nadu.[49]
It was Annadurai's government that renamedMadras State toTamil Nadu, its present-day name. The name change itself was first presented in theRajya Sabha byBhupesh Gupta, a communist MP fromWest Bengal, but was then defeated.[50] With Annadurai as chief minister, the state assembly succeeded in passing the bill renaming the state.[citation needed]
Annadurai's government introduced a two-language policy, favoring Tamil and English over Hindi, which marked a significant shift from the previously proposedthree language formula. The three-language formula, which was implemented in the neighboring states ofKarnataka,Andhra Pradesh andKerala, mandated students to study three languages: the regional language,English, andHindi.[51]
In 1969, after Annadurai's death, M. Karunanidhi was elected as his successor, defeating rival candidateV. R. Nedunchezhiyan. Karunanidhi headed the DMK until his own death in 2018.[15] He was also appointed as the chief minister of Tamil Nadu on 10 February 1969, sworn in by then GovernorSardar Ujjal Singh.[52]
In the 1970s,M. G. Ramachandran (M.G.R.), a popular actor and the party treasurer, had a political feud with the party president Karunanidhi. In 1972, M.G.R. called for a boycott of the party's General Council. The crisis led to a call for a corruption probe by M.G.R. leading to his suspension from the General Council by the high-power committee of DMK.[citation needed] M.G.R. left the DMK and created a new political party, theAll India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK).[53]
In 1976, during theemergency period,[54] prime ministerIndira Gandhi dismissed the Karunanidhi government,[55] fifty days before his tenure ended, citing failure to maintain law and order, implement emergency measures, uphold national discipline, and promote economic development.[56][57] TheSarkaria commission later investigated the DMK government for alleged irregularities in awarding tenders related to theVeeranam drainage project.[58] However, no corruption charges were formally proven against Karunanidhi in the court.[59][60]
The interim report of theJain Commission, which oversaw the investigation intoRajiv Gandhi'sassassination, indicted Karunanidhi for abetting theLiberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE).[61] The interim report recommended that Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M. Karunanidhi and the DMK party be held responsible for abetting Rajiv Gandhi's murderers. The final report contained no such allegations.[62]
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Karunanidhi has faced accusations and criticism of favouring family members for prominent political and constitutional positions. His supporters have denied these allegations, describing the appointments as based on political trust and experience.[64] Karunanidhi's nephew,Murasoli Maran, was aUnion Minister under multiple governments.[65]M. K. Stalin was elected as the Mayor ofChennai and later as the deputy chief minister of Tamil Nadu.[66] Karunanidhi's daughterKanimozhi has been appointed as the Rajya Sabha MP twice in 2007 and 2013.[67][68] Karunanidhi's nephew's sonDayanidhi Maran had been appointed as a Union Minister in 2004.[69] Karunanidhi's grandson, M. K. Stalin's son,Udhayanidhi Stalin, has been elected as an MLA in the state assembly.[70] Karunanidhi is also accused of allowingAzhagiri to function as an extraconstitutional authority inMadurai.[71]
Karunanidhi died on 7 August 2018, leaving the party in the hands of his son,M. K. Stalin. Stalin had been appointed as the working president in January 2017 when his father's health started declining and had previously been named heir apparent by his father. Stalin thus became the second DMK president since the party's inception.[72]
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On 25 March 2018, the DMK held a statewide conference inErode andM. K. Stalin released five slogans at the conference. They were:[73][74][75]
Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam follows the principle of Duty, Dignity, and Discipline, as instructed byC. N. Annadurai. This involves protecting democratic rights in politics, establishing a non-dominant society, and carrying out reform work based on rationality to promote the revival of Dravidian ideology. The party aims to overcome poverty in the economic sphere and provide means for the well-being of all on an equitable basis. The party also aims to develop and promote the respective state languages without allowing other languages to dominate. The party believes in promoting the decentralization of powers from the Union government and creating autonomy in the states and federalism at the center.[88]
Theanti-Hindi Imposition agitations of 1965 forced thecentral government to abandon its efforts to useHindi as the only official language of the country.
AfterThe Emergency invoked by Indira Gandhi, more state powers like education and medical care were moved from state control to national control. At the state conference inTrichy after the death of Annadurai, Karunanidhi announced the adoption of the "state autonomy" principle to advocate for state self-governance. In April 1974, the DMK government brought in a resolution in the House urging the centre to accept the Rajamannar Committee recommendations on state autonomy and amend the Constitution of India to pave the way for a truly federal system.[1]
The DMK has been involved in the protest forOBC reservation, ensuring the provision legalizing OBC reservation.[89][90] The party holds OBC welfare as a tenet of its core ideology[91] and has implementedreservation related policies in favour of OBCs[92] andSCs.[93]
The DMK reconstituted the disabled persons welfare board to Differently Abled Persons Departments and changed official terms for transgender individuals to more respectful terms like "Thirunangai" and "Thirunambi".[94]
The party's election symbol is the "sun rising from between two mountains", with a black and red flag pictured. The symbol was inspired by the Karunanidhi's 1950s playUdaya Suryan and is intended to signify the "rising" spirit of the Dravidian people.[95]
In the 1957 poll, the DMK was not recognized by the Election Commission. The party was grouped as independents and was not united by its rising sun symbol and was forced to contest under the rooster symbol.[96]
| Year | Party leader | Seats won | Change in seats | Percentage of votes | Popular vote | Outcome |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1962 | C. N. Annadurai | 7 / 41 |  5 | 18.64% | 2,315,610 | Opposition |
| 1967 | 25 / 25 | 18 | 51.79% | 7,996,264 | ||
| 1971 | M. Karunanidhi | 23 / 23 |  2 | 55.61% | 8,869,095 | Government |
| 1977 | 1 / 19 | 22 | 37.84% | 6,758,517 | Opposition | |
| 1980 | 16 / 16 | 15 | 55.89% | 10,290,515 | Government | |
| 1984 | 2 / 28 | 14 | 37.04% | 8,006,513 | Opposition | |
| 1989 | 0 / 32 | 2 | 33.78% | 8,918,905 | Lost | |
| 1991 | 0 / 29 |  | 27.64% | 6,823,581 | ||
| 1996 | 17 / 18 | 17 | 54.96% | 14,940,474 | Government | |
| 1998 | 6 / 18 | 11 | 42.72% | 10,937,809 | Opposition | |
| 1999 | 12 / 18 | 6 | 46.41% | 12,638,602 | Government | |
| 2004 | 16 / 16 | 4 | 57.40% | 16,483,390 | ||
| 2009 | 18 / 21 | 2 | 42.54% | 12,929,043 | ||
| 2014 | 0 / 34 | 18 | 23.16% | 10,243,767 | Lost | |
| 2019 | M. K. Stalin | 24 / 24 | 24 | 32.76% | 14,363,332 | Opposition |
| 2024 | 22 / 22 | 2 | 26.93% | 11,689,879 | Opposition |
| All time–DMK Lok Sabha seat count |
 |
| Year | Party leader | Seats won | Change in seats | Percentage of votes | Popular vote | Outcome | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Puducherry | ||||||||||
| 1974 | M. Karunanidhi | 2 / 30 | 2 | 47,823 | Opposition | |||||
| 1977 | 3 / 30 | 1 | 30,441 | |||||||
| 1980 | 14 / 30 | 11 | 68,030 | Government | ||||||
| 1985 | 5 / 30 | 9 | 87,754 | Others | ||||||
| 1990 | 9 / 30 | 4 | 101,127 | Government | ||||||
| 1991 | 4 / 30 | 5 | 96,607 | Opposition | ||||||
| 1996 | 7 / 30 | 3 | 105,392 | Government | ||||||
| 2001 | 7 / 30 | | 83,679 | Opposition | ||||||
| 2006 | 7 / 30 | | Government | |||||||
| 2011 | 3 / 30 | 4 | 10.68% | 74,552 | Opposition | |||||
| 2016 | 2 / 30 | 1 | 8.9% | 70,836 | Government | |||||
| 2021 | M. K. Stalin | 6 / 30 | 4 | 18.51% | 154,858 | Opposition | ||||
| Tamil Nadu | ||||||||||
| 1962 | C. N. Annadurai | 50 / 205 | 37 | 27.10% | 3,435,633 | Opposition | ||||
| 1967 | 137 / 234 | 87 | 40.69% | 6,230,556 | Government | |||||
| 1971 | M. Karunanidhi | 184 / 234 | 47 | 48.58% | 7,654,935 | |||||
| 1977 | 48 / 234 | 136 | 24.89% | 4,258,771 | Opposition | |||||
| 1980 | 37 / 234 | 11 | 22.1% | 4,164,389 | ||||||
| 1984 | 24 / 234 | 13 | 29.3% | 6,362,770 | Others | |||||
| 1989 | 150 / 234 | 116 | 37.89% | 9,135,220 | Government | |||||
| 1991 | 2 / 234 | 148 | 22.5% | 5,535,668 | Others | |||||
| 1996 | 173 / 234 | 171 | 53.77% | 14,600,748 | Government | |||||
| 2001 | 31 / 234 | 142 | 30.90% | 8,669,864 | Opposition | |||||
| 2006 | 96 / 234 | 65 | 26.50% | 8,728,716 | Minority Government | |||||
| 2011 | 23 / 234 | 73 | 22.40% | 8,249,991 | Others | |||||
| 2016 | 89 / 234 | 66 | 31.39% | 13,670,511 | Opposition | |||||
| 2021 | M. K. Stalin | 133 / 234 | 44 | 37.7% | 17,430,179 | Government | ||||
| All time–DMK Assembly seat count (Tamil Nadu) |
 |
| All time–DMK Assembly seat count (Puducherry) |
 |
| Year | Assembly | Party leader | Seats contested | Seats won | Change in seats | Percentage of votes | Vote swing | Popular vote | Outcome |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1972 | 5th | M. Karunanidhi | 3 | 0 / 287 | | 0.26% | | 36,466 | Lost |
| 1978 | 6th | 2 | 0 / 294 | | 0.03% | 0.23% | 6,547 |
| Year | Assembly | Party leader | Seats contested | Seats won | Change in seats | Percentage of votes | Vote swing | Popular vote | Outcome |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1978 | 6th | M. Karunanidhi | 3 | 0 / 224 | | 0.13% | | 16,437 | Lost |
| Year | Assembly | Party leader | Seats contested | Seats won | Change in seats | Percentage of votes | Vote swing | Popular vote | Outcome |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970 | 4th | M. Karunanidhi | 1 | 0 / 133 | | 0.02% | | 1,682 | Lost |
| Member | Position in Government | Party Position |
|---|---|---|
| M. K. Stalin | President | |
| Duraimurugan |
| General Secretary |
| T. R. Baalu |
| Treasurer and Lok Sabha Leader |
| K. N. Nehru |
| Party Principal Secretary |
| I. Periyasamy |
| Deputy General Secretary |
| Tiruchi Siva[97][98] |
| Deputy General Secretary |
| A. Raja |
| Deputy General Secretary |
| Anthiyur P. Selvaraj |
| Deputy General Secretary |
| Kanimozhi Karunanidhi |
| |
| R. S. Bharathi[99] |
| Organization Secretary |
| T. K. S. Elangovan[100] |
| Official Spokesperson |
| Udhayanidhi Stalin |
| Youth Wing Secretary |
| Dr. T R B Rajaa |
| Information Technology Wing Secretary |
| Helena Davidson |
| Women's Wing Secretary |
| CVMP Ezhilarasan |
| Students' Wing Secretary |
| Dayanidhi Maran |
| Sports Wing Secretary |
| Palanivel Thiagarajan |
| Assets Committee Secretary |
| Dr Ezhilan Naganathan |
| Medical Wing Secretary |
| M M Abdulla |
| NRI Wing Secretary |
| No. | Portrait | Name (Birth–Death) | Term in office | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Assumed office | Left office | Time in office | |||
| 1 | | M. Karunanidhi (1924–2018) | 27 July 1969 | 3 January 2017 | 47 years, 160 days |
 | M. K. Stalin (born in 1953) | 28 August 2018 | incumbent | 7 years, 88 days | |
| No. | Portrait | Name (Birth–Death) | Term in office |- | 1
| 4 January 2017 | 27 August 2018 | 1 year, 235 days | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| No. | Portrait | Name (Birth–Death) | Term in office | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Assumed office | Left office | Time in office | |||
| 1 |  | C. N. Annadurai (1909–1969) | 17 September 1949 | 24 April 1955 | 13 years, 350 days |
| 25 September 1960 | 3 February 1969 | ||||
| 2 |  | V. R. Nedunchezhiyan (1920–2000) | 24 April 1955 | 24 September 1960 | 13 years, 254 days |
| 4 February 1969 | 16 May 1977 | ||||
| 3 |  | K. Anbazhagan (1922–2020) | 17 May 1977 | 7 March 2020 | 42 years, 295 days |
| 4 | | Duraimurugan (born in 1938) | 9 September 2020 | Incumbent | 5 years, 76 days |
| No. | Portrait | Name (Birth–Death) | Term in office | Assembly (Election) | Elected constituency | Ministry | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Assumed office | Left office | Time in office | ||||||
| 1 | | C. N. Annadurai (1909–1969) | 6 March 1967 | 13 January 1969 | 1 year, 313 days | 4th (1967) | Member of theLegislative Council | Annadurai |
| No. | Portrait | Name (Birth–Death) | Term in office | Ministry | Constituency | Assembly Election | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Start | End | Duration in days | ||||||
| 1 | | C. N. Annadurai (1909–1969) | 14 January 1969 | 3 February 1969 | 20 days | Annadurai | Tamil Nadu Legislative Council | 4th (1967) |
| Acting | | V. R. Nedunchezhiyan (1910–1988) | 3 February 1969 | 10 February 1969 | 7 days | Nedunchezhiyan I | Triplicane | 4th (1967) |
| 2 | | M. Karunanidhi (1924–2018) | 10 February 1969 | 14 March 1971 | 2 years, 32 days | Karunanidhi I | Saidapet | 4th (1967) |
| 15 March 1971 | 31 January 1976 | 4 years, 322 days | Karunanidhi II | 5th (1971) | ||||
| 27 January 1989 | 30 January 1991 | 2 years, 3 days | Karunanidhi III | Harbour | 11th (1989) | |||
| 13 May 1996 | 13 May 2001 | 5 years, 0 days | Karunanidhi IV | Chepauk | 11th (1996) | |||
| 13 May 2006 | 15 May 2011 | 5 years, 2 days | Karunanidhi V | 13th (2006) | ||||
| 3 | | M. K. Stalin[101][102] (born 1953) | 7 May 2021 | Incumbent | 4 years, 201 days | Stalin | Kolathur | 16th (2021) |
| No. | Portrait | Name (Birth–Death) | Term in office | Assembly (Election) | Elected constituency | Chief Minister | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Assumed office | Left office | Time in office | ||||||
| 1 | | M. K. Stalin (1953–) | 29 May 2009 | 15 May 2011 | 1 year, 351 days | 13th (2006) | Thousand Lights | M. Karunanidhi |
| 2 |  | Udhayanidhi Stalin (1977–) | 28 September 2024 | Incumbent | 1 year, 57 days | 16th (2021) | Chepauk-Thiruvallikeni | M. K. Stalin |
| No. | Portrait | Name (Birth–Death) | Elected constituency | Term of office | (Assembly) (Election) | Appointed by (Lieutenant Governor) | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Assumed office | Left office | Time in office | ||||||
| 1 | | M. O. H. Farook (1937–2012) | Kalapet | 17 March 1969 | 2 January 1974 | 4 years, 291 days | 3rd (1969 election) | B. D. Jatti |
| 2 | | M. D. R. Ramachandran (Unknown) | Mannadipet | 16 January 1980 | 23 June 1983 | 3 years, 158 days | 6th (1980 election) | B. T. Kulkarni |
| 3 | 8 March 1990 | 2 March 1991 | 359 days | 8th (1990 election) | Chandrawati | |||
| 4 | .jpg) | R. V. Janakiraman (1941–2019) | Nellithope | 26 May 1996 | 21 March 2000 | 3 years, 300 days | 10th (1996 election) | Rajendra Kumari Bajpai |
| No. | Portrait | Name (Birth–Death) | Elected constituency | Term of office | Assembly (Election) | Appointed by (Speaker) | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Assumed office | Left office | Time in office | ||||||
| 1 | | M. Karunanidhi (1924–2018) | Anna Nagar | 25 July 1977 | 17 February 1980 | 5 years, 259 days | 6th (1977) | Munu Adhi |
| 27 June 1980 | 18 August 1983 | 7th (1980) | K. Rajaram | |||||
| 2 | | K. Anbazhagan (1922–2020) | Harbour | 24 May 2001 | 14 April 2006 | 4 years, 325 days | 12th (2001) | K. Kalimuthu |
| 3 | | M. K. Stalin (born 1953) | Kolathur | 4 June 2016 | 3 May 2021 | 4 years, 333 days | 15th (2016) | P. Dhanapal |
| No. | Portrait | Name (Birth–Death) | Elected constituency | Term of office | Assembly ((election)) | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Assumed office | Left office | Time in office | |||||
| 1 | | R.V. Janakiraman | Nellithope | 22 March 2000 | 15 May 2001 | 1 year, 54 days | 10th (1996 election) |
| 16 May 2001 | 11 May 2006 | 4 years, 360 days | 11th (2001 election) | ||||
| 2 | | A. M. H. Nazeem | Karaikal | 29 May 2006 | May 2011 | 5 years, 0 days | 12th (2006 election) |
| 3 | | R. Siva | Villianur | 8 May 2021[103] | Incumbent | 4 years, 200 days | 15th (2021 election) |
| Leader of the Opposition | Term Start | Term End | Duration |
|---|---|---|---|
| V. R. Nedunchezhiyan | 29 March 1962 | 28 February 1967 | 4 years, 337 days |
| No. | Name | Deputy Speaker | Took office | Left office | Duration |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Pulavar K. Govindan | G. R. Edmund | 22 February 1969 | 14 March 1971 | 2 years, 20 days |
| N. Ganapathy | 3 August 1973 | 3 July 1977 | 3 years, 334 days | ||
| 2 | K. A. Mathiazagan | P. Seenivasan | 24 March 1971 | 2 December 1972 | 1 year, 253 days |
| Acting | P. Seenivasan (Acting Speaker) | 2 December 1972 | 3 August 1973 | 1 year, 172 days | |
| 3 | M. Tamilkudimagan | V. P. Duraisamy | 8 February 1989 | 30 June 1991 | 2 years, 172 days |
| 4 | P. T. R. Palanivel Rajan | Parithi Ilamvazhuthi | 23 May 1996 | 21 May 2001 | 4 years, 363 days |
| 5 | R. Avudaiappan | V. P. Duraisamy | 19 May 2006 | 15 May 2011 | 4 years, 361 days |
| 6 | M. Appavu | K. Pitchandi | 12 May 2021 | Incumbent | 4 years, 196 days |
| # | Portrait | Minister (Birth-Death) Constituency | Term of office | Portfolio | Ministry | Prime Minister | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| From | To | Period | |||||||
| 1 |  | Murasoli Maran (1934–2003) MP forChennai South | 2 December 1989 | 10 November 1990 | 343 days | Minister of Urban Development | Vishwanath | V. P. Singh | |
| No. | Portrait | Portfolio | Name (Birth–Death) | Term in office | Constituency (House) | Prime Minister | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Assumed office | Left office | Time in office | |||||||
| 1 | | Minister of Industry | Murasoli Maran (1934–2003) | 1 June 1996 | 21 April 1997 | 324 days | Chennai Central (Lok Sabha) | H. D. Deve Gowda | |
| 2 | | Minister of Surface Transport | T. G. Venkatraman (1931–2013) | 1 June 1996 | 21 April 1997 | 324 days | Tindivanam (Lok Sabha) | ||
| 3 | | Minister of Defence (MoS) | N. V. N. Somu (–) | 6 July 1996 | 21 April 1997 | 289 days | Chennai North (Lok Sabha) | ||
| 4 |  | Minister of Petroleum & Natural Gas (MoS) | T. R. Baalu (born 1941) | 6 July 1996 | 21 April 1997 | 289 days | Chennai South (Lok Sabha) | ||
| No. | Portrait | Portfolio | Name (Birth–Death) | Term in office | Constituency (House) | Prime Minister | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Assumed office | Left office | Time in office | |||||||
| 1 | | Minister of Industry | Murasoli Maran (1934–2003) | 21 April 1997 | 19 March 1998 | 332 days | Chennai Central (Lok Sabha) | I. K. Gujral | |
| 2 | | Minister of Surface Transport | T. G. Venkatraman (1931–2013) | 21 April 1997 | 19 March 1998 | 332 days | Tindivanam (Lok Sabha) | ||
| Minister of Urban Affairs & Employment | 14 November 1997 | 12 December 1997 | 28 days | ||||||
| 3 | | Minister of Petroleum & Natural Gas (MoS) | T. R. Baalu (born 1941) | 21 April 1997 | 19 March 1998 | 332 days | Chennai South (Lok Sabha) | ||
| Minister of Non-Conventional Energy Sources (MoS) | 11 January 1998 | 19 March 1998 | 67 days | ||||||
| 4 | | Minister of Defence (MoS) | N. V. N. Somu (–) | 21 April 1997 | 14 November 1997 (died in office) | 207 days | Chennai North (Lok Sabha) | ||
| No. | Portrait | Portfolio | Name (Birth–Death) | Term in office | Constituency (House) | Prime Minister | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Assumed office | Left office | Time in office | |||||||
| 1 | | Minister of Commerce & Industry | Murasoli Maran (1934–2003) | 13 October 1999 | 9 November 2002 | 3 years, 27 days | Chennai Central (Lok Sabha) | Atal Bihari Vajpayee | |
| Minister without portfolio | 9 November 2002 | 23 November 2003 | 1 year, 14 days | ||||||
| 2 | | Minister of Environment & Forests | T. R. Baalu (born 1941) | 13 October 1999 | 21 December 2003 | 4 years, 69 days | Chennai South (Lok Sabha) | ||
| 3 |  | Minister of Rural Development (MoS) | A. Raja (born 1963) | 13 October 1999 | 30 September 2001 | 1 year, 352 days | Perambalur (Lok Sabha) | ||
| Minister of Health & Family Welfare (MoS) | 30 September 2000 | 21 December 2003 | 3 years, 82 days | ||||||
| Portrait | Name (Birth–Death) | Elected constituency | Lok Sabha (Election) | Speaker | Assumed office | Left office | Time in office | Prime Minister |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| G. Lakshmanan (1924–2001) | Chennai North | 7th (1980) | Balram Jakhar (INC) | 1 December 1980 | 31 December 1984 | 4 years, 30 days | Indira Gandhi |
There are two major parties that have been formed as a result of splits from the DMK, which are
| Justice Party 1917 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Self-respect movement 1925 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Dravidar Kazhagam 1944 | Justice Party (PTR) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam 1949 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Tamil National Party 1962 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Merger with Indian National Congress 1964 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam 17 October 1972 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Thazhthapattor Munnetra Kazhagam 1974 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Makkal Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam 1977 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Merger with AIADMK 1977 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| M.G.R.'s death on 24 December 1987 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| AIADMK Jayalalithaa faction | AIADMK Janaki faction | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Thamizhaga Munnetra Munnani 1988 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Merger with Janata Dal 1989 | AIADMK unifies again Janaki's faction dissolved and merged with Jayalalithaa's faction 1989 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Marumalarchi Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam 1994 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| MGR Kazhagam 1995 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| MGR Anna DMK 1996 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Merger with Bharatiya Janata Party 2002 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| MajorDravidian parties that are currently active | Dravidar Kazhagam | All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam | Marumalarchi Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam | Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam party runs two newspapers: an English weekly namedThe Rising Sun and a Tamil daily namedMurasoli.[111]
Kalaignar TV is a TV channel group started on 15 September 2007 and managed byKanimozhi Karunanidhi and Dayalu Ammal, the daughter and wife of Karunanidhi. The group has multiple sister channels: Kalaignar Isai Aruvi (24×7 Tamil music channel), Kalaignar Seithigal (24×7 Tamil news channel), Kalaignar Sirippoli (24×7 Tamil comedy channel), Kalaignar Chithiram (24×7 Tamil cartoon channel), Kalaignar Murasu(24×7 Tamil movie channel) and Kalaignar Asia.[112]
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{{cite web}}:Missing or empty|title= (help)Founder:C. N. Annadurai | |
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Headquarters: Anna Arivalayam, 367–369, Anna Salai, Teynampet, Chennai – 600018, Tamil Nadu, India. | |
