Politics of Tamil Nadu

See also: List of Chief Ministers of Tamil Nadu, Tamil Nadu Assembly Election 2006, and Dravidian people

Main article: Elections in Tamil Nadu

Dravidan party politics

Dravidian parties have dominated state politics since 1967. One of the earliest regional parties was the South Indian Welfare Association, which was founded in 1916. It came to be known as the Justice Party after the name of its English-language daily, Justice. E.V. Ramasami, popularly known as "Periyar", renamed the party Dravidar Kazhagam in 1944. DK was a non-political party which demanded the establishment of an independent state called Dravida Nadu. However, due to the differences between its two leaders Periyar and C.N. Annadurai, the party was split. Annadurai left the party to form the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK). The DMK decided to enter into politics in 1956.

In the 19th century, Western scholars proposed that Dravidian languages that dominates the south of India formed a different linguistic group to that of Indo-Aryan languages that are predominant in the north of the country. They also classified Indians into distinct Aryan and Dravidian races, it was supposed that the generally darker-skinned Dravidians constituted a distinct race. This concept has affected thinking in India about racial and regional differences and had an impact on aspects of Tamil nationalism, which has appropriated the claim that Dravidians are the earliest inhabitants of India, and the Aryan population were oppressive interlopers from whom Dravidians should liberate themselves. History has shown that Dravidian language family predates Indo-aryan language family in India, however both language groups have been influenced by the other during the course of three millennia.

Formation of Tamil state and conflicts due to Hindi imposition

Re-organisation of Indian states according to linguistic and ethnic basis has moderated Tamil nationalism, especially the demand for separation from the Indian Union. The Anti-Hindi agitations in the mid-1960s made the DMK more popular and more powerful political force in the state. The DMK routed the Indian National Congress party in the 1967 elections and took control of the state government, ending Congress's stronghold in Tamil Nadu. C.N. Annadurai became the DMK's first Chief Minister, and Muthuvel Karunanidhi took over as Chief Minister and party leader after Annadurai's death in 1969.Karunanidhi's leadership was soon challenged by M.G. Ramachandran, popularly known as MGR. In 1972, he split from DMK and formed the All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK). He was the Chief Minister of the state from 1977 until his death in 1987. After the death of MGR, the party split again into two factions, one led by Janaki Ramachandran, wife of MGR, and the other led by J. Jayalalithaa. After the defeat of AIADMK in 1989 assembly polls, both factions were merged and Jayalalithaa took control of the party. She was elected as the General Secretary of the unified AIADMK. There have been splits in both the DMK and the AIADMK, but since 1967 one of those two parties has held power in the state. In the State elections after M.G. Ramachandran's death, neither of the two parties could come back to power in consecutive assembly elections.This was broken in 2016 when Jayalalithaa won two consecutive elections. Governments were formed by: DMK in 1989, AIADMK in 1991, DMK alliance in 1996, AIADMK alliance in 2001 and DMK alliance in 2006.AIADMK in 2011 and 2016

Other political parties

Manithaneya Makkal Katchi is a political party in Tamil Nadu, India, founded by TMMK and focused on the Muslim community and all other minority dalit peoples.[1] Founded in 1995 as a socio-developmental organization, Tamil Nadu Muslim Munnetra Kazagham – TMMK (Tamil Nadu Muslim Development Party) has been tirelessly working for the well being of marginalized societies of Tamil Nadu. Though started as a pan-Muslim outfit, it served all sections of Tamil society.

Starting from the 1990s, caste based politics is on the rise in Tamil Nadu. Pattali Makkal Katchi (PMK) party deriving strength from vanniars, Viduthalai Chiruthaigal Katch (VCK) party based on Dalit votes and Puthiya Thamilagam based on another sect of Dalits have been gaining prominence in Tamil Nadu. These parties have been gaining modest electoral success and slowly eating into traditional vote banks of DMK and AIADMK. Recently an outfit supporting Kongu Vellala Gounders also joined this list, a caste decides electoral victories in West Tamil Nadu, with the launch of their own political party Kongunadu Munnetra Peravai (KMP) in February 2009.

Social Democratic Party of India(SDPI) started on 21.06.09 .Sdpi has started to rejuvenate the Muslims and dalits from fear and fight against dominating power. Sdpi is popular against Muslim youths in Tamil Nadu, kerala & karnataka.Sdpi is expanding its branches across India

Desiya Murpokku Dravida Kazhagam (DMDK) (Tamil: தேசிய முற்போக்கு திராவிடக் கழகம்; English: National Progressive Dravidian Federation) is a regional political party formed by Tamil film actor Vijayakanth Naidu in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu, along the lines of the regional Dravidian political parties. He formally announced the party's formation on 14 September 2005 at Madurai. DMDK became the opposition party in the 2011 election.

On 18 May 2010, director, writer and Tamil activist Seeman formed the Naam Tamilar Katchi.