The seventh legislative assembly election of Tamil Nadu was held on 28 May 1980. The election was held two years before the end of the M. G. Ramachandran (MGR) administration's term, as it was dissolved for the failure of the state machinery by the then President of India Neelam Sanjiva Reddy. Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam allied with the Indian National Congress (Indira) and All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam allied with Janata Party. Despite their landslide victory of 37 out of 39 seats at the general election in January 1980, DMK and the Indira Congress failed to win the legislative assembly election. AIADMK won the election and its leader and incumbent Chief Minister MGR was sworn in as Chief Minister for the second time.
Background
The All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam allied with Indian National Congress (Indira) in 1977 parliamentary election. However, when Janata Party won the election and Morarji Desai became the Prime Minister, M. G. Ramachandran extended unconditional support to the Janata party Government. He continued his support to the Charan Singh Government in 1979. After the fall of the Charan Singh government, fresh parliamentary elections were conducted in 1980. Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam struck alliance with INC(I). AIADMK and Janata Party alliance won only 2 seats in Tamil Nadu in that parliamentary election. INC(I) won the election and Indira Gandhi became the Prime Minister.
M. G. Ramachandran government introduced a ₹9,000 income ceiling in July 1979 to apply an economic criterion for reservation and exclude the “creamy layer,” and later advocated extending reservation to all categories, including the general category, on economic grounds. The move triggered protests led by K. Veeramani and aided M. Karunanidhi’s Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam in the 1980 Lok sabha general election, where the AIADMK suffered a drubbing; the order was withdrawn on 21 January 1980, raising the Backward Classes quota to 50%, following which the K. Veeramani led Dravidar Kazhagam supported the AIADMK in the June 1980 Assembly elections.
Dismissal of AIADMK government
Congress-DMK victory in the 1980 parliamentary election emboldened their alliance and made them think that people lost their faith in M. G. Ramachandran government. DMK pressed the union government to dismiss the Tamil Nadu government. The AIADMK ministry and the assembly were dismissed by the union government on grounds of civil disorder due to Farmers protest for electricity subsidy. General elections were conducted in 1980.
During the campaign, following the dismissal of his government, MGR directly appealed to the electorate with a single question, “What wrong did I do to deserve this (dismissal)?”, thereby reinforcing his reliance on the popular mandate and his image as a leader closely aligned with the masses, which yielded fruitful results. On 1 June 1980, votes were counted. In other states where governments had been dismissed, Congress (I) secured victories. However, in Tamil Nadu alone, the DMK-Congress alliance was defeated, despite having won a landslide victory in loksabha elections just five months earlier.
Seat allotments
After the Lok Sabha election, negotiations in seat allotments between DMK and INC(I) were heated. They finally agreed on contesting in equal number of seats. This led to the debate on who the will be the Chief Minister if the alliance wins, which led to TNCC general secretary G.K. Moopanar and Prime Minister Indira Gandhi announcing that DMK president M. Karunanidhi will be the CM candidate for the alliance. Even after the announcement, party leaders were under the impression that DMK must outperform INC(I), in order for Karunanidhi to get the chief ministership. As part of Aiadmk front, Kumari Ananathan led GKNC contested in Rose electoral Symbol.
Voting and results
Results by Pre-Poll Alliance
‡: Vote % reflects the percentage of votes the party received compared to the entire electorate that voted in this election. Adjusted (Adj.) Vote %, reflects the % of votes the party received per constituency that they contested.
Sources: Election Commission of India and Keesing's Report
M. G. R.'s Second Cabinet
After the Seventh General Elections held in 1980, a new Ministry with Dr. M. G. Ramachandran as Chief Ministers was formed on the noon of 9 June 1980. The names of the Ministers with their portfolios are given below:
Thiruvalargal S.R. Eradha and M.R. Govendan and Selvi P. Vijayalakhsmi were
appointed as additional Members of the Council of Ministers with effect from 1 July 1983.
Consequently the business of the Government was re-allocated among the Ministers as follows
with effect from 1 July 1983:
- Thiru M. G. Ramachandran, Chief Minister-Minister in-charge of Public, General Administration, Indian administrative Service, District Revenue Officers, Deputy Collectors, Police, Prevention of corruption, Planning Molasses and Archaeology.
- Thiru (Dr.). V. R. Nedunchezhiyan, Minister for Finance-Minister-in-charge of Finance, Legislature, Elections, Food, Youth Service Corps, Price Control and exservicemen.
- Thiru S. Ramachandran, Minister for Electricity-Minister-in-charge of Electricity, Iron and Steel control.
- Thiru K. A. Krishnasamy, Minister for Rural Industries-Minister-in-charge of Rural Industries including Village, Cottage and small Industries, Milk Dairy development, Registration and Stamp Act.
- Thiru S. D. Somasundaram, Minister for Revenue-Minister-in-charge of Revenue, Commercial Taxes, Excise and Census.
- Thiru R. M. Veerappan, Minister for Information and Religious Endowments Minister-in-charge of Information and Publicity, Film Technology, Tourism, Tourism Development corporation, Cinchona and Grant of Liquor Permits.
- Thiru C. Arangayagam, Minister for Education-Minister-in-charge of Education including Technical education, Official Language and Handlooms.
- Thiru K. Kalimuthu, Minister for Agriculture-Minister-in-charge of Agriculture, Agricultural Refinance, Agricultural Engineering Wing and Agro-Engineering
- Thiru C. Ponnaiyan, Minister for Co-operation and Law-Minister-in-charge of Law, Courts, Prisons, Legislation on Weights and Measures, Registration of companies, Debt Relief including Legislation on Money Lending and Legislation on Chits and Co-operation.
- Thiru P. Kulandaivelu, Minister for Local Administration-Minister-in-charge of Municipal Administration, Panchayats, and Panchayat Unions, Community Development, Rural Indebtedness Bhoodan and Gramdhan and Highways.
- Thiru S. Raghavanandham, Minister for Labour-Minister-in-charge of Labour, Housing, slum-clearance Board, Statistics, Tamil Nadu water Supply and Drainage Board, Town Planning and Accommodation Control
- Thiru (Dr.) H. V. Hande, Minister for Health-Minister-in-charge of Health.
- Thiru K. Raja Mohammed, Minister for Irrigation-Minister-in-charge of AgroService, Co-operative Societies, Irrigation including Minor Irrigation and Wakf.
- Thiru S. Muthusamy, Minister for transport-Minister-in-charge of Transport, Nationalised Transport, Motor Vehicles Act and Ports.
- Thiru S. Thirunavukkarasu, Minister for Industries-Minister-in-charge of Large Scale Industries, Mines and Minerals and Textiles.
- Thiru S. N. Rajendran, Minister for Public works-Minister-in-charge of Prohibition excluding grant of liquor permits, Passports, P.W.D. and Establishment matters relating to public Works Department.
- Thiru M. Vijayasarathi, Minister for Adi-Dravidar Welfare-Minister-in-charge of Adi-Dravidar Welfare, Stationery and Printing, Government Press, News Print control, Hilo Tribes and Bonded Labour and Employment Training.
- Thiru S. R. Eradha, Minister for Fisheries-Minister-in-charge of Fisheries.
- Thiru M. R. Govendan, Minister for Backward Classes: Minister-in-charge of Backward Classes.
- Thirumathi Gomathi Sainivasan, Minister for Social Welfare: Minister-in charge of Social welfare including women and Children welfare, Animal Husbandry, Beggars Home, Orphanages, Indian Overseas, Refugees and Evacuees and Correctional Administration.
- Selvi P. Vijayalakshmi, Minister for Khadi-Minister-in-charge of Khadi. Thiru K. Raja Mohammed ceased to be a Member of the Council of Ministers and Tvl.
R. Soundararajan, Y. S. M. Yusuf, R Arunachalam and K.Kalaimani were appointed as additional Members of the Council of Minister with effect from 9 September 1983. Consequently the business of the Government was re-allocated among the Ministers as follows with effect from 9 September 1983:
- Thiru (Dr). M. G. Ramachandran, Chief Minister-Minister-in-charge of Public, General Administration, Indian Administrative Service and Other All India Services, District Revenue Officers, Deputy Collectors, Police, Prevention of Corruption, Planning, Molasses, Archaeology and Excise.
- Thiru (Dr). V. R. Nedunchezhiyan, Minister for Finance-Minister-in-charge of Finance. Legislature, Election, Food, Youth Service Corps, Price Control and Ex-servicemen.
- Thiru S. Ramafhandran, Minister for Electricity-Minister-in-charge of Electricity, Iron and Steel Control.
- Thiru K. A. Krishnaswamy, Minister for Dairy Development-Minister-in-charge of Milk, Dairy Development, Registration and Stamp Act.
- Thiru S. D. Somasundaran, Minister for Revenue. Minister-in-charge of Revenue, Commercial Taxes and Census.
- Thiru R. M. Veerappan, Minister for Information and Religious Endowments. Minister-in-charge of Information and Publicity Film Technology, Tourism, Tourism Development Corporation, Cinematograph Act, Hindu Religious and Charitable Endowments, Forest, Cinchona and Grant of Liquor Permits.
- Thiru C. Aranganayagam, Minister for Education: Minister-in-charge of Education Including Technical Education Official Language, and Handlooms.
- Thiru K. Kalimuhth, Minister for Agriculture: Ministers in Charge of Agriculture, Agricultural Refinance, Agricultural Engineering Wing and Agro Engineering.
- Thiru C. Ponnaiyan, Minister for Co-operation and Law: Ministers in Charge of Law, Courts Prisons, Legislation on Weights and Measures, Registration of Companies, Debt Relief Including Legislation on Money Lending and Legislation on Chits and Co-operation.
- Thiru P. Kulandaivelu, Minister for Local Administration: Minister in Charge of Municipal Administration, Panchayats and Panchayat Union, Community Development, Rural Indebtedness, Bhodhan and Gramphan and Highway.
- Thiru S. Raghavanandham, Minister for Labour: Minister in Charge of Labour, Housing, Slum Clearance Board, Statistics, Tamil Nadu Water Supply and Drainage Board, Town Planning and Accommodation Control:
- Thiru (Dr.) H. V. Hande, Minister for Health: Minister in Charge of Health.
- Thiru S. Muhtusamy, Minister for Transport: Minister in Charge of Transport, Nationalised Transport Motor Vehicles Act and Ports.
- Thiru S. Thirunavukkarasu, Minister for Industries: Minister in Charge of Large Scale Industries Mines and Minerals and Textiles.
- Thiru S. N. Rajendran, Minister for Public Works: Minister in charge of Prohibition excluding grant of Liquor permits, Passports, P.W.D. and Establishment matters relating to Public Works Department.
- Thiru M. Vijayasarathi, Minister for Adi-dravidar Welfare. Minister in Charge of Adi-dravidar Welfare, Stationery and Printing, Government Press, News Print Control, Hill Tribes and Bonded Labour and Employment Training.
- Thiru R. Soundararajan, Minister for Nutritious Meals: Minister in Charge of Nutritious Meals.
- Thiru S. R. Eradha, Minister for Environmental Pollution Control. Minister in Charge of Environmental Pollution Control.
- Thiru M. R. Govendan, Minister for Backward Classes. Minister in Charge of Backward Classes.
- Thirumathi Gomathi Srinivasan, Minister for Social Welfare. Minister in Charge of Social Welfare Including Women and Children Welfare, Animal Husbandry, Beggars Home, Orphanages, Indian Overseas, Refugees and Evacuees and Correctional Administration.
- Thirumathi Vijayalakshmi Palanisamy, Minister for Khadi. Minister in Charge of Khadi.
- Thiru Y. S. M. Yusuf, Minister for Irrigation and Wakf. Minister in Charge of Agro Services Co-operative Societies, Irrigation Including Minor Irrigation and Wakf.
- Thiru R. Arunachalam, Minister for Rural Industries-Minister in Charge of Rural Industries Including Village, Cottage and Small Industries.
- Thiru K. Kalaimani, Minister for Fisheries. Minister in Charge of Fisheries.
Thiruvalargal T. Veerasamy and K.K.S.S.R. Ramachandran were appointed as
additional Members of the Council of Ministers with effect from 5 September 1984. The
business of the Government was re-allocated among the Ministers as follows with effect from
5 September 1984.