1977 Tamil Nadu Legislative Assembly election

The DMK gradually weakened in the years following the previous election due to several splits resulting from the exit of influential leaders, including M.G.R. The party's popularity was further undermined by widespread corruption allegations, which M.G.R highlighted, given his close relationship with the Indian National Congress (INC). Tensions within the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam began to surface before the 1971 election, but were put aside to win the elections in a standing record landslide margin.

K. A. Mathiazhagan was removed from his position as Minister of Finance, as he was seen as a significant threat to Karunanidhi's leadership. In 1972, influential Dalit leader Sathyavani Muthu left the party, citing a lack of concern for Dalit issues, and subsequently formed the Thazhthapattor Munnetra Kazhagam. Treasurer of the party M.G.R was expelled on 10 October 1972 following disciplinary action for his open criticisms of the party leadership regarding alleged corruption and authoritarian behavior. He then joined and lead the All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK), which won the Dindigul by-election in 1973.{{cite journal | title=Factions and Filmstars: Tamil Nadu Politics since 1971| author=Duncan Forrester| journal=Asian Survey| year=1976| volume=16| issue=3| pages=283–296| jstor=2643545| doi=10.2307/2643545 }}

In March 1977, V. R. Nedunchezhiyan and several senior leaders also left the DMK to form the Makkal Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam.{{cite book | title=320 Million Judges| author=G.G. Mirchandani| pages=124–126| publisher=Abhinav Publications| isbn=8170170613}}

Emergency, which was declared in June 1975 had a mixed reception in Tamil Nadu. Jayaprakash Narayan's opposition movement did not receive much support in Tamil Nadu due to his association with the DMK government, which had its own trouble due to accusations of corruption. K. Kamaraj did not come in support of Jayaprakash Narayan due to his association with DMK despite the fact he disapproved of Indira Gandhi's actions. DMK executive council called the Emergency unnecessary and undemocratic on 27 June and party leaders condemned it in several statewide meetings. Emergency regulations and censorship were not strictly enforced in Tamil Nadu unlike in other states. All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam and Communist Party of India continued to support Indira Gandhi. M. G. Ramachandran even visited Delhi to extend his support to Indira Gandhi. It was under these circumstances Karunanidhi's government was dismissed by the Government of India on 31 January 1976.

Kamaraj, leader of Indian National Congress (Organisation), who remarked in 1972, "Randu Katchigalum Orey Kuttaiyil Oorina Mattaigal (both parties, the DMK and the AIADMK, are like fronds dipped in the same bog or tarred by the same brush)."[http://www.indianexpress.com/news/curious-story-of-congressdmk-ties/212206/0 Curious story of Congress-DMK ties] died in 1975. Indian National Congress (Indira) faction could not establish a foothold in Tamil Nadu until his death. After his death, Indian National Congress (Organisation) lost its identity as a party, and a large number of its members led by G. K. Moopanar merged with Indira Congress.{{cite web|url=http://www.hindu.com/thehindu/2001/08/31/stories/01310003.htm|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20040927101815/http://www.hindu.com/thehindu/2001/08/31/stories/01310003.htm|url-status=dead|archive-date=27 September 2004|title=G.K. Moopanar passes away |date=31 August 2001|work=The Hindu|access-date=15 February 2010}} The remaining chose not to join with Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam, but rather joined the Janata Party and later remained largely uncommitted.{{cite book | title=Democracy and discontent: India's growing crisis of governability| author=Atul Kohli| year=1990| pages=166–167| publisher=Cambridge University Press| isbn=0521396921}} Swatantra Party lost much of its power after the death of C. Rajagopalachari in 1972 and did not contest the election. Most of its members joined the newly formed Janata Party.{{cite web|url=http://www.hindu.com/2007/12/25/stories/2007122555570900.htm|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071227091239/http://www.hindu.com/2007/12/25/stories/2007122555570900.htm|url-status=dead|archive-date=27 December 2007|title= Remembering a phenomenon |last=Ramakrishnan |first=T. |date=25 December 2007|work=The Hindu|access-date=15 February 2010}}

This election was a four cornered contest. The AIADMK allied itself with the Communist Party of India (Marxist), while INC(I) and Communist Party of India (CPI) contested as allies. The DMK and Janata Party (JNP) contested the elections alone. The AIADMK did not field any candidate in the Usilampatti Constituency in support of the Forward Bloc leader P.K. Mookiah Thevar. Similarly the AIADMK also supported the Indian Union Muslim League (IUML) candidate M. Abdul Latheef in the Vaniyambadi Constituency. In the parliamentary elections that occurred just three months prior to this elections, there had been two major alliances – the AIADMK led AIADMK-INC-CPI coalition and the DMK led DMK-NCO-JNP-CPM coalition. But in the months that followed the parliamentary election, these coalitions fell apart.{{cite journal|date=26 January 1980|title=Moment of Truth for MGR|journal=Economic and Political Weekly|publisher=Economic and Political Weekly|volume=15|issue=4|pages=141–142 |jstor=4368350}}

Polling for the election was held on 10 June 1977. Turnout among the eligible voters was 61.58%.

File:1977 tamil nadu legislative election map by parties.png

{{Election table|title=Summary of the 1977 June Tamil Nadu Legislative Assembly election results}}

!colspan=10|File:India Tamil Nadu Legislative Assembly 1977.svg

|-

!colspan=2|Alliance/Party

!Seats won

!Change

!Popular Vote

!Vote %

!Adj. %^‡

|-

! style="background-color:#009900; color:white"|AIADMK+ alliance

! style="background-color: {{party color|AIADMK}}" |

| 144

| +142

| 5,734,692

|style="text-align:center;vertical-align:middle;" colspan=2 | 33.5%

|-

|AIADMK

! style="background-color: #008000" |

| 130

| +120

| 5,194,876

| 30.4%

| 35.4%

|-

|CPI(M)

! style="background-color: #000080" |

| 12

| +12

| 477,835

| 2.8%

| 33.0%

|-

|FBL

! style="background-color: #800000" |

| 1

| –

| 35,361

| 0.2%

| 62.0%

|-

|IND

! style="background-color: olive" |

| 1

| –

| 26,620

| 0.2%

| 42.9%

|-

! style="background-color:#FF0000; color:white"|DMK

! style="background-color: {{party color|Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam}}" |

| 48

| -136

| 4,258,771

|style="text-align:center;vertical-align:middle;" colspan=2 | 24.9%

|-

|DMK

! style="background-color: #FF0000" |

| 48

| -136

| 4,258,771

| 24.9%

| 25.3%

|-

! style="background-color:#00FFFF; color:black"|Congress alliance

! style="background-color: #00FFFF" |

| 32

| +24

| 3,491,490

|style="text-align:center;vertical-align:middle;" colspan=2 | 20.4%

|-

|INC

! style="background-color: #00FFFF" |

| 27

| +27

| 2,994,535

| 17.5%

| 20.8%

|-

|CPI

! style="background-color: #0000FF" |

| 5

| -3

| 496,955

| 2.9%

| 20.4%

|-

! style="background-color:yellow; color:black"|Janata

! style="background-color:yellow" |

| 10

| +10

| 2,851,884

|style="text-align:center;vertical-align:middle;" colspan=2 | 16.7%

|-

|JNP

! style="background-color: #FFFF00" |

| 10

| +10

| 2,851,884

| 16.7%

| 16.8%

|-

! style="background-color:gray; color:white"|Others

! style="background-color:gray" |

| 1

| -7

| 751,712

|style="text-align:center;vertical-align:middle;" colspan=2 | 4.4%

|-

|IND

! style="background-color: #666666" |

| 1

| -7

| 751,712

| 4.4%

| –

|-

| style="text-align:center;" |Total

! style="background-color: " |

| 234

| –

| 17,108,146

| 100%

| style="text-align:center;" | –

|-

|}

{{refbegin}}

‡: 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{{cite web

| last = Election Commission of India

| title = 1977 Election Statistical Report

| url = http://eci.nic.in/eci_main/StatisticalReports/SE_1977/StatisticalReportTamil%20Nadu77.pdf

| access-date = 19 April 2009

| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20101007141448/http://eci.nic.in/eci_main/StatisticalReports/SE_1977/StatisticalReportTamil%20Nadu77.pdf

| archive-date = 7 Oct 2010}}

{{refend}}

Key:

• Elections in Tamil Nadu
• Legislature of Tamil Nadu
• Government of Tamil Nadu

{{reflist}}

• [http://eci.nic.in/ Election Commission of India]

{{Tamil Nadu assembly elections|state=expanded}}

Category:State Assembly elections in Tamil Nadu

Category:1970s in Tamil Nadu

Tamil Nadu