1967 Madras State Legislative Assembly election

1967 Madras Legislative Assembly election

← 1962 5–21 February 1967 1971 →

All 234 seats in the Tamil Nadu Legislative Assembly
118 seats needed for a majority
Turnout76.57%
  First party Second party
 
Leader C. N. Annadurai M. Bhakthavatsalam
Party DMK INC
Leader's seat MLC[1] Sriperumbudur
(lost)
Seats won 179 51
Seat change Increase 121[2] Decrease 84[2]
Popular vote 8,051,433 6,293,378
Percentage 52.59% 41.10%
Swing Increase 15.70% Decrease 5.04%

Chief Minister before election

M. Bakthavatsalam
INC

Chief Minister

C.N. Annadurai
DMK

The fourth legislative assembly election of Madras State (later renamed as Tamil Nadu) was held in February 1967. The Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) led coalition under the leadership of C.N. Annadurai won the election defeating the Indian National Congress (Congress). Anti-Hindi agitations, the rising prices of essential commodities, and a shortage of rice were the dominant issues. K. Kamaraj's resignation as the Chief Minister in 1963, to concentrate on party affairs, along with persistent rumors of corruption had weakened the incumbent Congress Government. This was the second time after Communist Party of India winning Kerala assembly elections in 1957, for a non-Congress party to gain the majority in a state in India, and the last time that Congress held power in Tamil Nadu. It was the first time a party or pre-election alliance formed a non-Congress government with an absolute majority. It marked the beginning of Dravidian dominance in the politics of Tamil Nadu. Annadurai, who became the first non-Congress chief minister of post-independence Tamil Nadu, died in office in 1969 and V.R. Nedunchezhiyan took over as acting chief minister.

  1. ^ Shankarlal C. Bhatt (2006). Land and People of Indian States and Union Territories: In 36 Volumes. Tamil Nadu. Gyan Publishing House. p. 525. ISBN 978-81-7835-381-4.
  2. ^ a b "The Madras Legislative Assembly, 1962-67, A Review" (PDF). assembly.tn.gov.in. 24 August 1967. Archived from the original (PDF) on 6 June 2021.