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List of leaders of the opposition in the Tamil Nadu Legislative Assembly

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Leader of the Opposition in the Tamil Nadu Legislative Assembly
Tamiḻnāṭu Caṭṭamaṉṟa Etirkkaṭcit Talaivar
Emblem of Tamil Nadu
since 11 May 2021
Tamil Nadu Legislative Assembly
AppointerSpeaker of the Tamil Nadu Legislative Assembly
Inaugural holderT. Nagi Reddy
Formation6 May 1952; 73 years ago (1952-05-06)
Websitewww.assembly.tn.gov.in

The leader of the opposition in the Tamil Nadu Legislative Assembly is an elected member of the Legislative Assembly who leads the official opposition party in the Tamil Nadu Legislative Assembly. The leader of the opposition serves as the legislative leader for the largest political party in the assembly that is not part of the government, provided that this political party holds at least 10% of the seats.

Since 1952, the Tamil Nadu Legislative Assembly has had 18 leaders of the opposition. The longest-serving leader of the opposition J. Jayalalithaa from All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam became the legislative assembly's first and, to date, only female leader of the opposition. She was the first actress to become the leader of the opposition in the state's legislative assembly in India, while Desiya Murpokku Dravida Kazhagam's founder Vijayakant is the second actor to become the leader of the opposition in the state's legislative assembly in India. The Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam's former president M. Karunanidhi has the second-longest tenure, having held the office for 5 years and 259 days, and S. Balakrishnan from the Tamil Maanila Congress (Moopanar) has the third-longest tenure, having held the office for 4 years and 356 days.

The current incumbent has been Edappadi K. Palaniswami of the All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam since 11 May 2021.[1]

List

[edit]
Key
  • RES Resigned
  • † Died in office
  • § Returned to office after a previous non-consecutive term
Legend
No. Portrait Name

(Birth–Death)

Elected constituency Term of office[2] Assembly
(Election) 		Appointed by Political party
Assumed office Left office Time in office
1 T. Nagi Reddy
(1917–1976) 		Anantapur 6 May 1952 1 October 1953[RES] 1 year, 148 days 1st
(1952) 		J. Shivashanmugam Communist Party of India
2 P. Ramamurthi
(1908–1987) 		Madurai North 14 December 1953 31 March 1957 3 years, 107 days
3 V. K. Ramaswami
(1901–1984) 		Uthiramerur 29 April 1957 18 March 1962 4 years, 323 days 2nd
(1957) 		U. Krishna Rao Independent
4 V. R. Nedunchezhiyan
(1920–2000) 		Triplicane 29 March 1962 28 February 1967 4 years, 336 days 3rd
(1962) 		S. Chellapandian Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam
5 P. G. Karuthiruman
(1919–1977) 		Sathyamangalam 15 March 1967 5 January 1971 3 years, 296 days 4th
(1967) 		S. P. Adithanar Indian National Congress
– Vacant N/A 22 March 1971 31 January 1976 4 years, 315 days 5th
(1971) 		No official opposition[a]
6 M. Karunanidhi
(1924–2018) 		Anna Nagar 25 July 1977 17 February 1980 5 years, 259 days 6th
(1977) 		Munu Adhi Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam
27 June 1980 18 August 1983[RES] 7th
(1980) 		K. Rajaram
7 K. S. G. Haja Shareef
(1915–1999) 		Triplicane 29 August 1983 15 November 1984 1 year, 78 days Indian National Congress
8 O. Subramanian
(1921–2000) 		Sivaganga 27 February 1985 30 January 1988 2 years, 337 days 8th
(1984) 		P. H. Pandian
9 J. Jayalalithaa
(1948–2016) 		Bodinayakkanur 9 February 1989 1 December 1989[RES] 295 days 9th
(1989) 		M. Tamilkudimagan All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam
10 S. R. Eradha
(1934–2020) 		Madurai East 1 December 1989 19 January 1991[RES] 1 year, 49 days
11 G. K. Moopanar
(1931–2001) 		Papanasam 19 January 1991 30 January 1991 11 days Indian National Congress
12 S. R. Balasubramoniyan
(b. 1938) 		Pongalur 3 July 1991 13 May 1996 4 years, 315 days 10th
(1991) 		Sedapatti R. Muthiah
13 S. Balakrishnan
(1936–2006) 		Mudukulathur 23 May 1996 14 May 2001 4 years, 356 days 11th
(1996) 		P. T. R. Palanivel Rajan Tamil Maanila Congress (Moopanar)
14 K. Anbazhagan
(1922–2020) 		Harbour 24 May 2001 14 April 2006 4 years, 325 days 12th
(2001) 		K. Kalimuthu Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam
15 O. Panneerselvam
(b. 1951) 		Periyakulam 19 May 2006 28 May 2006[RES] 9 days 13th
(2006) 		R. Avudaiyappan All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam
(9) J. Jayalalithaa
(1948–2016) 		Andipatti 29 May 2006[§] 14 May 2011 4 years, 350 days
16 Vijayakant
(1952–2023) 		Rishivandiyam 27 May 2011 21 February 2016 4 years, 270 days 14th
(2011) 		D. Jayakumar Desiya Murpokku Dravida Kazhagam
– Vacant N/A 22 February 2016 21 May 2016 89 days No official opposition[b]
17 M. K. Stalin
(b. 1953) 		Kolathur 4 June 2016 3 May 2021 4 years, 333 days 15th
(2016) 		P. Dhanapal Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam
18 Edappadi K. Palaniswami
(b. 1954) 		Edappadi 11 May 2021 Incumbent 4 years, 47 days 16th
(2021) 		M. Appavu All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam
Timeline
Edappadi K. PalaniswamiM. K. StalinVijayakanthO. PanneerselvamK. AnbazhaganS. Balakrishnan (Mudukulathur MLA)S. R. BalasubramoniyanG. K. MoopanarJ. JayalalithaaO. SubramanianK. S. G. Haja ShareefM. KarunanidhiVacantP. G. KaruthirumanV. R. NedunchezhiyanV. K. Ramaswami MudaliarP. RamamurthiT. Nagi Reddy

Statistics

[edit]
List of leaders of the opposition by length of term
No. Name Party Length of term
Longest continuous term Total years of opposition-ship
1 J. Jayalalithaa AIADMK 4 years, 350 days 5 years, 280 days
2 M. Karunanidhi DMK 5 years, 259 days 5 years, 259 days
3 S. Balakrishnan TMC(M) 4 years, 356 days 4 years, 356 days
4 V. R. Nedunchezhiyan DMK 4 years, 336 days 4 years, 336 days
5 M. K. Stalin DMK 4 years, 333 days 4 years, 333 days
6 K. Anbazhagan DMK 4 years, 325 days 4 years, 325 days
7 V. K. Ramaswami IND 4 years, 323 days 4 years, 323 days
8 S. R. Balasubramoniyan INC 4 years, 315 days 4 years, 315 days
9 Vijayakant DMDK 4 years, 270 days 4 years, 270 days
10 Edappadi K. Palaniswami AIADMK 4 years, 47 days 4 years, 47 days
11 P. G. Karuthiruman INC 3 years, 296 days 3 years, 296 days
12 P. Ramamurthi CPI 3 years, 107 days 3 years, 107 days
13 O. Subramanian INC 2 years, 337 days 2 years, 337 days
14 T. Nagi Reddy CPI 1 year, 148 days 1 year, 148 days
15 K. S. G. Haja Shareef INC 1 year, 78 days 1 year, 78 days
16 S. R. Eradha AIADMK 1 year, 49 days 1 year, 49 days
17 G. K. Moopanar INC 11 days 11 days
18 O. Panneerselvam AIADMK 9 days 9 days
List by party
Political parties by total time-span of their member holding LOPO (27 June 2025)
No. Political party Number of leaders of the opposition Total days of holding LOPO
1 Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam 4 7461 days
2 Indian National Congress 5 4948 days
3 All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam 4 4038 days
4 Tamil Maanila Congress (Moopanar) 1 1817 days
5 Communist Party of India 2 1790 days
6 Independent 1 1784 days
7 Desiya Murpokku Dravida Kazhagam 1 1731 days
Parties by total duration (in days) of holding Leader of the Opposition's Office
1,000
2,000
3,000
4,000
5,000
6,000
7,000
8,000
DMK
INC
AIADMK
TMC(M)
CPI
IND
DMDK

List of deputy leaders of the opposition

[edit]
No. Portrait Name

(Birth–Death)

Elected constituency Term of office Assembly
(Election) 		Appointed by Political party Leader of the Opposition
Assumed office Left office Time in office
1 M. Karunanidhi
(1924–2018) 		Thanjavur 29 March 1962 28 February 1967 4 years, 336 days 3rd
(1962) 		S. Chellapandian Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam V. R. Nedunchezhiyan
2 K. Anbazhagan
(1922–2020) 		Purasawalkam 25 July 1977 17 February 1980 5 years, 259 days 6th
(1977) 		Munu Adhi M. Karunanidhi
27 June 1980 18 August 1983[RES] 7th
(1980) 		K. Rajaram
3 Su. Thirunavukkarasar
(b. 1949) 		Aranthangi 9 February 1989 23 July 1990 1 year, 164 days 9th
(1989) 		M. Tamilkudimagan All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam J. Jayalalithaa

S. R. Eradha

4 K. A. Sengottaiyan
(b. 1948) 		Gobichettipalayam 23 June 1990 19 January 1991 180 days S. R. Eradha
5 Duraimurugan
(b. 1938) 		Katpadi 24 May 2001 14 April 2006 4 years, 325 days 12th
(2001) 		K. Kalimuthu Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam K. Anbazhagan
(4) K. A. Sengottaiyan
(b. 1948) 		Gobichettipalayam 19 May 2006 28 May 2006 9 days 13th
(2006) 		R. Avudaiappan All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam O. Panneerselvam
6 O. Panneerselvam
(b. 1951) 		Periyakulam 29 May 2006 14 May 2011 4 years, 350 days J. Jayalalithaa
7 Panruti S. Ramachandran
(b. 1937) 		Alandur 27 May 2011 10 December 2013 2 years, 197 days 14th
(2011) 		D. Jayakumar Desiya Murpokku Dravida Kazhagam Vijayakant
8 Alagaapuram R. Mohanraj
(b. 1954) 		Salem North 31 January 2014 21 February 2016 2 years, 21 days P. Dhanapal
(5) Duraimurugan
(b. 1938) 		Katpadi 4 June 2016 3 May 2021 4 years, 333 days 15th
(2016) 		Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam M. K. Stalin
(6) O. Panneerselvam
(b. 1951) 		Bodinayakanur 14 June 2021 11 July 2022 1 year, 27 days 16th
(2021) 		M. Appavu All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam Edappadi K. Palaniswami
9 R. B. Udhayakumar
(b. 1973) 		Thirumangalam 19 July 2022 Incumbent 2 years, 343 days

See also

[edit]

Notes

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  1. ^ No official opposition because no political party obtained at least 10% of the seats in the following assembly election
  2. ^ No official opposition because no political party obtained at least 10% of the seats in the assembly

References

[edit]
  1. ^ "Edappadi K. Palaniswami elected AIADMK legislature party leader". The Hindu. 10 May 2021. Archived from the original on 4 October 2023. Retrieved 11 May 2021.
  2. ^ The ordinal number of the term being served by the person specified in the row in the corresponding period
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