The fourth legislative assembly election of
Madras State
Madras State was a state of India during the mid-20th century. At the time of its formation in 1950, it included the whole of present-day Tamil Nadu (except Kanyakumari district), Coastal Andhra, Rayalaseema, the Malabar region of North and c ...
(later renamed as
Tamil Nadu
Tamil Nadu (; , TN) is a States and union territories of India, state in southern India. It is the List of states and union territories of India by area, tenth largest Indian state by area and the List of states and union territories of India ...
) was held in February 1967. The
Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam
The Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (; DMK) is a political party based in the state of Tamil Nadu where it is currently the ruling party having a comfortable majority without coalition support and the union territory of Puducherry where it is curre ...
(DMK) led coalition under the leadership of
C.N. Annadurai
Conjeevaram Natarajan Annadurai (15 September 1909 – 3 February 1969), popularly known as Anna also known as Arignar Anna or Perarignar Anna (''Anna, the scholar'' or ''Elder Brother''), was an Indian Tamil politician who served as the fo ...
won the election defeating the
Indian National Congress
The Indian National Congress (INC), colloquially the Congress Party but often simply the Congress, is a political party in India with widespread roots. Founded in 1885, it was the first modern nationalist movement to emerge in the British Em ...
(Congress). Anti-Hindi agitations, the rising prices of essential commodities, and a shortage of rice were the dominant issues.
K. Kamaraj
Kumaraswami Kamaraj (15 July 1903 – 2 October 1975, hinduonnet.com. 15–28 September 2001), popularly known as Kamarajar was an Indian independence activist and politician who served as the Chief Minister of Madras State (Tamil Nadu) ...
'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
Communist Party of India (CPI) is the oldest Marxist–Leninist communist party in India and one of the nine national parties in the country. The CPI was founded in modern-day Kanpur (formerly known as Cawnpore) on 26 December 1925.
H ...
winning
Kerala
Kerala ( ; ) is a state on the Malabar Coast of India. It was formed on 1 November 1956, following the passage of the States Reorganisation Act, by combining Malayalam-speaking regions of the erstwhile regions of Cochin, Malabar, South ...
assembly elections in 1957, for a non-Congress party to gain the majority in a state in
India
India, officially the Republic of India (Hindi: ), is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by area, the second-most populous country, and the most populous democracy in the world. Bounded by the Indian Ocean on the so ...
, 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
V. R. Nedunchezhiyan (11 July 1920 – 12 January 2000) was an Indian politician and writer. He served thrice as the acting Chief Minister of the state of Tamil Nadu, India. He was also finance minister under the governments of C. N. A ...
took over as acting chief minister.
Background
The Congress party began to show weakness in the years after the
1962 election.
In the summer of 1962, DMK conducted demonstrations against rising prices. These demonstrations turned violent throughout the state leading to the arrest of 6500 DMK volunteers, 14 members of the assembly and four members of the Lok Sabha, including Annadurai.
Kamaraj
Kumaraswami Kamaraj (15 July 1903 – 2 October 1975, hinduonnet.com. 15–28 September 2001), popularly known as Kamarajar was an Indian independence activist and politician who served as the Chief Minister of Madras State (Tamil Nadu) ...
resigned the Chief Ministership in 1963 to assume the presidency of the
All India Congress Committee
The All India Congress Committee (AICC) is the presidium or the central decision-making assembly of the Indian National Congress. It is composed of members elected from state-level Pradesh Congress Committees and can have as many as a thousan ...
and was replaced by
M. Bakthavatsalam
Minjur Bhakthavatsalam (9 October 1897 – 13 February 1987) was an Indian independence activist and politician who served as the chief minister of Madras State from 2 October 1963 to 6 March 1967. He was the last Congress chief minister of Ta ...
. Robert L. Hardgrave, Jr. (Temple Professor Emeritus in the Humanities, Government and Asian Studies from the
University of Texas
The University of Texas at Austin (UT Austin, UT, or Texas) is a public research university in Austin, Texas. It was founded in 1883 and is the oldest institution in the University of Texas System. With 40,916 undergraduate students, 11,075 ...
) wrote in an article published in the journal ''
Pacific Affairs
''Pacific Affairs'' (''PA'') is a Canadian peer-reviewed scholarly journal that publishes academic research on contemporary political, economic, and social issues in Asia and the Pacific. The journal was founded in 1926 as the newsletter for the ...
'', that M. Bhaktavatsalam did not have the personal charisma or political acumen of Kamaraj. Persistent rumours of corruption tarnished the image of the Government. In October 1964, the food crisis brought the popularity of the Congress Government to an all-time low.
Issues
The major issues at play in the election were the
official language issue, the rise in essential commodity prices and the shortage of rice. The central Government led by the Indian National Congress had implemented an act replacing English with Hindi as an official language of India while retaining a possible "associate" status to English. The switchover came into effect on 26 January 1965. In protest to the vague wording of the act, fearing a possible elimination of English and imposition of Hindi, DMK had launched an
agitation opposing the switchover and that agitation turned violent. The 1967 election was held in the aftermath of this violence.
The acute rice shortage prevailing in the state became an election issue with the DMK promising to supply three ''padis'' (approx. 4.5 kg) of rice for 1
Rupee
Rupee is the common name for the currencies of
India, Mauritius, Nepal, Pakistan, Seychelles, and Sri Lanka, and of former currencies of Afghanistan, Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, the United Arab Emirates (as the Gulf rupee), British East Africa, B ...
in its election manifesto.
The DMK capitalised on the rice shortage as well as widespread discontent with the Bhaktavatsalam administration. Slogans like ''Kamarajar Annachi kadalaiparuppu vilai ennachu'' (Elder Brother (''Annachi'' is a title historically been used to refer to a person of
Kamaraj's caste) Kamaraj, what happened to the price of chana dal?), ''Bhaktavatsalam annachi arisi vilai ennachu'' (lit. Brother Bhatavatsalam, what happened to the price of rice?) were used effectively by the DMK to stir public anger against the Congress.
This election was noted for popular actor, DMK candidate and future Chief Minister
M.G. Ramachandran
Maruthur Gopalan Ramachandran (17 January 1917 24 December 1987), also popularly known as M.G.R., was an Indian politician, actor, philanthropist, and filmmaker who served as the Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu from 1977 until his death in 1987 ...
(MGR) being shot in the throat by actor
M.R. Radha. He survived the shooting, but the incident created a huge popularity wave for MGR. This eventually helped to increase the popularity of not only MGR, but also the DMK in the election, and is attributed as one of the reasons for the victory of the DMK.
Coalitions
There were two major political coalitions running in the elections. The
Indian National Congress
The Indian National Congress (INC), colloquially the Congress Party but often simply the Congress, is a political party in India with widespread roots. Founded in 1885, it was the first modern nationalist movement to emerge in the British Em ...
contested
alone, while the
Dravidar Kazhagam
Dravidar Kazhagam is a social movement founded by Periyar E. V. Ramasamy, also called Thanthai Periyar. Its original goals were to eradicate the ills of the existing caste system including untouchability and on a grander scale to obtain a " ...
(DK) under
Periyar E. V. Ramasamy
Erode Venkatappa Ramasamy (17 September 1879 – 24 December 1973), revered as Periyar or Thanthai Periyar, was an Indian social activist and politician who started the Self-Respect Movement and Dravidar Kazhagam. He is known as the 'Fa ...
supported and campaigned for the incumbent Congress against his protege Annadurai. The
DMK-led front comprised the
Swatantra Party
The Swatantra Party was an Indian classical liberal political party, that existed from 1959 to 1974. It was founded by C. Rajagopalachari in reaction to what he felt was the Jawaharlal Nehru-dominated Indian National Congress's increasingly soci ...
,
Communist Party of India (Marxist)
The Communist Party of India (Marxist) (abbreviated as CPI(M)/CPIM/CPM) is a Marxism–Leninism, Marxist–Leninist communist List of political parties in India, political party in India. It is the largest communist party of India in term ...
,
Praja Socialist Party
The Praja Socialist Party, abbreviated as PSP, was an Indian political party. It was founded when the Socialist Party, led by Jayaprakash Narayan, Rambriksh Benipuri, Acharya Narendra Deva and Basawon Singh (Sinha), merged with the Kisan Mazdoo ...
,
Samyukta Socialist Party
Samyukta Socialist Party (; SSP), was a political party in India from 1964 to 1972. SSP was formed through a split in the Praja Socialist Party (PSP) in 1964. In 1972, SSP was reunited with PSP, forming the Socialist Party.
The General Secret ...
,
Tamil Nadu Toilers Party
Tamil Nadu Toilers Party was created by members of the populous Vanniyar community of Tamil Nadu, India, during the 1950s. In 1951, Vanniyars convened a conference of the Vanniyar Kula Kshatriya Sanga which intended to organise Vanniyars on a stat ...
,
Republican Party of India
The Republican Party of India (RPI, often called the Republican Party or simply Republican) is a political party in India. It has its roots in the Scheduled Castes Federation led by B. R. Ambedkar. The 'Training School for Entrance to Polit ...
and the
Indian Union Muslim League
The Indian Union Muslim League (abbreviated as the I. U. M. L. or the League) is an Indian political party primarily based in the Indian state of Kerala. It is recognised as a State Party in Kerala by the Election Commission of India.
The first ...
. The
Tamil Arasu Kazhagam
Tamil Arasu Kazhagam (Association for Tamil Autonomy) ( ta, தமிழ் அரசு கழகம்) was an Indian political party founded by M. P. Sivagnanam (Ma. Po. Si) in Tamil Nadu. It was established as an association in 1946. Its goa ...
and the We Tamils party campaigned using the DMK election symbol.
This opposition coalition was forged by
C. Rajagopalachari
Chakravarti Rajagopalachari (10 December 1878 – 25 December 1972), popularly known as Rajaji or C.R., also known as Mootharignar Rajaji (Rajaji'', the Scholar Emeritus''), was an Indian statesman, writer, lawyer, and independence activis ...
(Rajaji) with the sole purpose of defeating the Kamaraj led Congress. Rajaji's personal hostility to Kamaraj and his opposition to the Congress party were the main reasons behind Swatantra's alliance with DMK. The
Communist Party of India
Communist Party of India (CPI) is the oldest Marxist–Leninist communist party in India and one of the nine national parties in the country. The CPI was founded in modern-day Kanpur (formerly known as Cawnpore) on 26 December 1925.
H ...
campaigned alone without joining either of the two coalitions.
The electoral alliance between DMK, Swatantra Party and Muslim League had emerged in the years before the 1964 civic elections throughout Madras state. During the 1964 election campaign
Rajagopalachari
Chakravarti Rajagopalachari (10 December 1878 – 25 December 1972), popularly known as Rajaji or C.R., also known as Mootharignar Rajaji (Rajaji'', the Scholar Emeritus''), was an Indian statesman, writer, lawyer, and independence activis ...
had said, "The DMK and Muslim League are my children and I am duty bound to nurse them to strength and stature."
Campaigning
Both Congress and DMK used films and actors for campaigning.
Gemini Studios
Gemini Studios was an Indian film studio based in Madras, Tamil Nadu. It was launched when S. S. Vasan, a businessman of many ventures (including the ownership of Ananda Vikatan) bought Motion Picture Producers' Combines from Krishnaswamy Subr ...
produced a political film for the Congress – ''Vazhga Nam Thayagam'' starring
Shivaji Ganesan
Villupuram Chinnaiya Manrayar Ganesamoorthy, better known by his stage name Sivaji Ganesan, (1 October 1928 – 21 July 2001) was an Indian actor and producer. He was active in Tamil cinema during the latter half of the 20th century. Sivaji Gan ...
and
Nagesh
Nagesh (born Cheyur Krishnarao Nageshwaran; (27 September 1933 – 31 January 2009) was an Indian actor, mostly remembered for his roles as a comedian in Tamil films during the 1960s. Nagesh was born in Dharapuram. He acted in over 1,000 film ...
. Sivaji and
Padmini worked for the Congress party. Despite its efforts, Congress could not counter the DMK's propaganda, which had a long history of using films for political campaigns since its founding.
DMK's long-term association with the
Tamil Film
Tamil cinema, also known as Kollywood is a part of Indian Cinema; primarily engaged in production of motion pictures in the Tamil language. Based out of the Kodambakkam neighbourhood in Chennai, Tamil Nadu, it is popularly called ''Kollywood' ...
industry was put to good use in the campaign. MGR's films were used to attack Congress policies and to popularise DMK's positions. Similar to the tactics employed in the elections of
1957
1957 ( MCMLVII) was a common year starting on Tuesday of the Gregorian calendar, the 1957th year of the Common Era (CE) and ''Anno Domini'' (AD) designations, the 957th year of the 2nd millennium, the 57th year of the 20th century, and the 8th y ...
and
1962
Events January
* January 1 – Western Samoa becomes independent from New Zealand.
* January 3 – Pope John XXIII excommunicates Fidel Castro for preaching communism.
* January 8 – Harmelen train disaster: 93 die in the wors ...
, film songs and dialogues from ''
Kaanji Thalaivan
''Kaanchi Thalaivan'' () is a 1963 Indian Tamil-language historical action film, directed by A. Kasilingam. The film stars M. G. Ramachandran, S. S. Rajendran, P. Bhanumathi and C. R. Vijayakumari, with M. R. Radha and S. A. Ashokan as vi ...
'' (1963), "
Deivathai (1964)'', "
Padakotti (1964)", ''
Aayirathil Oruvan", ''
Enga Veettu Pillai
''Enga Veettu Pillai'' () is a 1965 Indian Tamil-language masala film written by Sakthi T. K. Krishnasamy and directed by Chanakya. A remake of his own 1964 Telugu film ''Ramudu Bheemudu'', it stars M. G. Ramachandran and B. Saroja Devi, with S ...
'' (1965), ''
Anbe Vaa
''Anbe Vaa'' () is a 1966 Indian Tamil-language romantic comedy film written and directed by A. C. Tirulokchandar. The film stars M. G. Ramachandran and B. Saroja Devi, with S. A. Ashokan, Nagesh, T. R. Ramachandran, P. D. Sambandam, Manoram ...
'' (1966), '' Naan Aanaiyittal'' (1966), "Mugarasi (1966)", "
Petralthan Pillaya (1966)",''Vivasayee'' (1967) and ''Arasakattalai'' (1967) were used for political messaging. Lesser known film stars like Ravichandran and
Jaishankar
Jaishankar (12 July 1938 – 3 June 2000) was an Indian actor known for his work in Tamil cinema. He was a very popular lead actor in the 1960s and 70s. He was credited onscreen with title of ''Makkal Kalaingnar'' (people's artiste) or '' ...
used their films for praising DMK and Annadurai. The DMK put up posters of MGR recuperating in a hospital bed with a neck cast (from his gunshot wounds) all over Tamil Nadu to garner public sympathy and support.
Election
The election was held for a total of 234 constituencies, including 43
Scheduled Caste
The Scheduled Castes (SCs) and Scheduled Tribes (STs) are officially designated groups of people and among the most disadvantaged socio-economic groups in India. The terms are recognized in the Constitution of India and the groups are designa ...
and 2
Scheduled Tribe
The Scheduled Castes (SCs) and Scheduled Tribes (STs) are officially designated groups of people and among the most disadvantaged socio-economic groups in India. The terms are recognized in the Constitution of India and the groups are designa ...
reserved constituencies. 778 candidates, including 11 women were in the fray, of whom 231 men and 3 women were elected to the assembly. The election saw a turnout of 76.57 percent of all eligible voters, with 79.19% men and 73.99% women casting their votes. The polling for the assembly election took place along with the polling for the
1967 parliamentary elections. It took place in three phases between 5 and 21 February (5, 18 and 21 February).
Results
DMK and its coalition allies won 179 seats (76.5%). The Indian National Congress won 51 seats (21.8%).
Four candidates of the
Naam Thamizhar Party led by
S. P. Adithanar
Si. Balasubramania Athithan (also known as Si. Ba. Adithanar) 27 September 1905 – 24 May 1981), popularly called as "Adithanar", was an Indian lawyer, politician, minister and founder of the Tamil daily newspaper ''Dina Thanthi''. He was th ...
and two candidates of
Tamil Arasu Kazhagam
Tamil Arasu Kazhagam (Association for Tamil Autonomy) ( ta, தமிழ் அரசு கழகம்) was an Indian political party founded by M. P. Sivagnanam (Ma. Po. Si) in Tamil Nadu. It was established as an association in 1946. Its goa ...
led by
M. P. Sivagnanam
Mylai Ponnuswamy Sivagnanam,[Padma Awards 1972](_blank)
padmaawards.gov.in popularl ...
contested
[In India the term "Contest" is used to denote participation in an election. The Representation of People Act of 1951, the legislation which governs elections in India uses the term and so does the Election Commission of India.] under DMK's "Rising Sun" Symbol. The
Indian Union Muslim League
The Indian Union Muslim League (abbreviated as the I. U. M. L. or the League) is an Indian political party primarily based in the Indian state of Kerala. It is recognised as a State Party in Kerala by the Election Commission of India.
The first ...
candidates contested
as independents.
By constituency
Analysis
The effective grass roots campaigning by the DMK and the political acumen of Annadurai, defeated the Congress and its leader M. Bhaktavatsalam. The popularity of the United Front was so large that they were able to win an absolute majority in ten out of the 14 districts in the state, while Congress could not accomplish that in a single district. This was largely due to the fact that the United Front was able to capitalize on its growing support in large towns and cities, combined with the decline in Congress support in its traditional
Schedule Caste
The Scheduled Castes (SCs) and Scheduled Tribes (STs) are officially designated groups of people and among the most disadvantaged socio-economic groups in India. The terms are recognized in the Constitution of India and the groups are designa ...
constituencies.
Margin of Victory
The following table shows the number of seats won by corresponding parties, by the margin of votes.
Notable losses
The former chief minister and popular leader of the
Indian National Congress
The Indian National Congress (INC), colloquially the Congress Party but often simply the Congress, is a political party in India with widespread roots. Founded in 1885, it was the first modern nationalist movement to emerge in the British Em ...
,
K. Kamaraj
Kumaraswami Kamaraj (15 July 1903 – 2 October 1975, hinduonnet.com. 15–28 September 2001), popularly known as Kamarajar was an Indian independence activist and politician who served as the Chief Minister of Madras State (Tamil Nadu) ...
lost his seat in
Virudunagar by 1285 votes to the student leader
P. Seenivasan from the DMK. A few days before the election, Kamaraj had an accident and could not campaign. This led to his famous declaration that he would win lying down ( ta, படுத்துக் கொண்டே ஜெயிப்பேன்).
He lost the election along with the incumbent Chief Minister
M. Bakthavatsalam
Minjur Bhakthavatsalam (9 October 1897 – 13 February 1987) was an Indian independence activist and politician who served as the chief minister of Madras State from 2 October 1963 to 6 March 1967. He was the last Congress chief minister of Ta ...
, who lost his seat in
Sriperumbudur
Sriperumbudur is a town panchayat in the Kanchipuram district of the Indian state of Tamil Nadu. It is located 40 kilometers southwest of the capital city of Chennai on the National Highway 4 (India)(old numbering), National Highway 4 and i ...
to
D. Rajarathinam from the DMK by 8926 votes. Except for
G. Bhuvaraghan
G. Bhuvaraghan ( – 23 February 2014) was an Indian politician and Member of the Legislative Assembly of Tamil Nadu. He was elected to the Tamil Nadu legislative assembly as an Indian National Congress candidate from the Vridhachalam constituen ...
(the minister for Information and Publicity), all ministers of the outgoing Bakthavatsalam cabinet were defeated in this election.
[Election rewind (in Tamil)](_blank)
/ref>
There was a post-result wall-painting in Virudhunagar
Virudhunagar is a city and the administrative headquarter of the Virudhunagar district in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu. It is located southwest of the state capital Chennai and south of Madurai. Virudhunagar emerged as an important trade ...
by DMK which said "படிக்காத காமராஜரை படித்த இளைஞன் சீனிவாசன் தோற்கடித்தார்!" ( The illiterate Kamaraj was defeated by Graduate Youth Sreenivasan!). The Congress replied with "படிக்காத முதல்வர் காமராஜர் அன்று கட்டிய அரசு கல்விக்கூடங்களில் படித்து பட்டம் வாங்கிய இளைஞன் சீனிவாசன், இப்போது அதே காமராஜரை தோற்கடித்தான்" ( The Seenivasan who studied and graduated in Education Institutes built under orders of then Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu illiterate Kamaraj, has now defeated the same Kamaraj)
Government formation
The election results were announced on 23 February 1967 and the DMK won an absolute majority on its own. It had increased its vote share to 40.6% from 27.1% in 1962 election. Annadurai resigned as the Member of Parliament
A member of parliament (MP) is the representative in parliament of the people who live in their electoral district. In many countries with bicameral parliaments, this term refers only to members of the lower house since upper house members of ...
from the Rajya sabha. Annadurai was nominated as Chief Minister of Madras State and staked a claim to form a Government on 2 March 1967. He was sworn in by Governor Ujjal Singh
Sardar Ujjal Singh (27 December 1895 – 15 February 1983) was an Indian politician who served as the Governor of Punjab (India) (1 September 1965 – 26 June 1966), followed by acting Governor of Tamil Nadu (28 June 1966 - 16 June 1967). Pr ...
on 6 March 1967 in Rajaji Hall. He was later elected to the Madras Legislative Council
Tamil Nadu Legislative Council was the upper house of the former bicameral legislature of the Indian state of Tamil Nadu. It began its existence as Madras Legislative Council, the first provincial legislature for Madras Presidency. It was initia ...
on 22 April 1967.
Annadurai's Cabinet
The council of ministers in C. N. Annadurai
Conjeevaram Natarajan Annadurai (15 September 1909 – 3 February 1969), popularly known as Anna also known as Arignar Anna or Perarignar Anna (''Anna, the scholar'' or ''Elder Brother''), was an Indian Tamil politician who served as the fo ...
's cabinet (6 March 1967 – 10 February 1969) were all from the DMK and they are listed in the following table.
See also
* Indian general election in Madras, 1967
The 1967 Indian general election polls in Tamil Nadu were held for 39 seats in the state. The result was a huge victory for Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam, led by C.N. Annadurai and its ally Swatantra Party, led by C. Rajagopalachari. Madras was the ...
* Elections in Tamil Nadu
Elections in Tamil Nadu are conducted every five years to elect the State assembly and its share of members to the Lok Sabha. There are 234 assembly constituencies and 39 Lok Sabha constituencies. The state has conducted 15 assembly elections ...
* Legislature of Tamil Nadu
The Tamil Nadu Legislature is the unicameral legislature of the Indian state of Tamil Nadu. The Legislature is composed of Tamil Nadu Legislative Assembly and the Governor of Tamil Nadu
Until 1 November 1986, the Tamil Nadu Legislature was a bi ...
* Government of Tamil Nadu
Government of Tamil Nadu is the subnational government for the Indian state of Tamil Nadu. It is seated at Fort St George, Chennai. The legislature of Tamil Nadu was bicameral until 1986, when it was replaced by a unicameral legislature, lik ...
References
External links
{{good article
State Assembly elections in Tamil Nadu
Madras
Chennai (, ), formerly known as Madras ( the official name until 1996), is the capital city of Tamil Nadu, the southernmost Indian state. The largest city of the state in area and population, Chennai is located on the Coromandel Coast of th ...