List of leaders of the opposition in the Tamil Nadu Legislative Assembly
Elected member who leads the official opposition in the Tamil Nadu Legislative Assembly
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The leader of the opposition in the Tamil Nadu Legislative Assembly is an elected member of the Tamil Nadu Legislative Assembly who 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 ten percent of the seats in the assembly.
Formation6 May 1952
First holderT. Nagi Reddy (Madras State Assembly)
P. G. Karuthiruman (Tamil Nadu Legislative Assembly)
P. G. Karuthiruman (Tamil Nadu Legislative Assembly)
| Leader of the Opposition in the Tamil Nadu Legislative Assembly | |
|---|---|
| Tamiḻnāṭu Caṭṭamaṉṟa Etirkkaṭcit Talaivar | |
| |
| Appointer | Speaker of the Tamil Nadu Legislative Assembly |
| Formation | 6 May 1952 |
| First holder | T. Nagi Reddy (Madras State Assembly) P. G. Karuthiruman (Tamil Nadu Legislative Assembly) |
As of 2026[update], there have been 19 leaders of the opposition from six different political parties and an independent. T. Nagi Reddy of the Communist Party of India became the first leader of opposition in the 1st Madras State Assembly. P. G. Karuthiruman of the Indian National Congress was the leader of opposition, when the state was renamed as Tamil Nadu in 1969, and thus became the first leader of opposition of the Tamil Nadu Legislative Assembly.
The longest-serving leader of the opposition is J. Jayalalithaa from the All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK), who has been the only female to hold the position.[1] She held the office for five years and 280 days, followed by M. Karunanidhi of the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK), who held the office for five years and 259 days. O. Panneerselvam of the AIADMK had the shortest reign, holding the position for nine days. The position was left vacant on two occasions as no political party secured the required proportion of seats in the assembly.
The current incumbent is Udhayanidhi Stalin of the DMK since 11 May 2026.[2]
List
- Key
| No. | Portrait | Name
(Birth–Death) |
Elected constituency | Term of office[a] | Assembly (Election) |
Speaker | 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[b] (1919–1977) |
Sathyamangalam | 15 March 1967 | 5 January 1971 | 3 years, 296 days | 4th (1967) |
S. P. Adithanar | Indian National Congress | ||
| – | Vacant[c] | N/a | 22 March 1971 | 31 January 1976 | 4 years, 315 days | 5th (1971) |
N/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[c] | N/a | 22 February 2016 | 21 May 2016 | 89 days | N/a | ||||
| 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 | 5 May 2026 | 4 years, 359 days | 16th (2021) |
M. Appavu | All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam | |
| 19 |  |
Udhayanidhi Stalin (b. 1977) |
Chepauk-Thiruvallikeni | 11 May 2026 | Incumbent | 90 days | 17th (2026) |
J. C. D. Prabhakar | Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam | |
- Timeline
Statistics
- List of leaders of the opposition by length of term
| No. | Name | Party | Length of term | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Longest continuous term | Total duration of leadership | ||||
| 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 | Edappadi K. Palaniswami | AIADMK | 4 years, 359 days | 4 years, 359 days | |
| 4 | S. Balakrishnan | TMC(M) | 4 years, 356 days | 4 years, 356 days | |
| 5 | V. R. Nedunchezhiyan | DMK | 4 years, 336 days | 4 years, 336 days | |
| 6 | M. K. Stalin | DMK | 4 years, 333 days | 4 years, 333 days | |
| 7 | K. Anbazhagan | DMK | 4 years, 325 days | 4 years, 325 days | |
| 8 | V. K. Ramaswami | IND | 4 years, 323 days | 4 years, 323 days | |
| 9 | S. R. Balasubramoniyan | INC | 4 years, 315 days | 4 years, 315 days | |
| 10 | Vijayakant | DMDK | 4 years, 270 days | 4 years, 270 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 | Udhayanidhi Stalin | DMK | 90 days | 90 days | |
| 18 | G. K. Moopanar | INC | 11 days | 11 days | |
| 19 | O. Panneerselvam | AIADMK | 9 days | 9 days | |
- List by party
| No. | Political party | Count | Days | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam | 5 | 7551 days | |
| 2 | Indian National Congress | 5 | 4948 days | |
| 3 | All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam | 4 | 4350 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
List of deputy leaders of the opposition
- Key
| No. | Portrait | Name
(Birth–Death) |
Elected constituency | Term of office | Assembly (Election) |
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) |
Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam | V. R. Nedunchezhiyan | ||
| 2 | |
K. Anbazhagan (1922–2020) |
Purasawalkam | 25 July 1977 | 17 February 1980 | 5 years, 259 days | 6th (1977) |
M. Karunanidhi | |||
| 27 June 1980 | 18 August 1983[RES] | 7th (1980) | |||||||||
| 3 |  |
Su. Thirunavukkarasar (b. 1949) |
Aranthangi | 9 February 1989 | 23 July 1990 | 1 year, 164 days | 9th (1989) |
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) |
Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam | K. Anbazhagan | |||
| (4) | |
K. A. Sengottaiyan (b. 1948) |
Gobichettipalayam | 19 May 2006[§] | 28 May 2006[RES] | 9 days | 13th (2006) |
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[RES] | 2 years, 197 days | 14th (2011) |
Desiya Murpokku Dravida Kazhagam | Vijayakant | |||
| 8 | Alagaapuram R. Mohanraj (b. 1954) |
Salem North | 31 January 2014 | 21 February 2016 | 2 years, 21 days | ||||||
| (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) |
All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam | Edappadi K. Palaniswami | ||
| 9 | R. B. Udhayakumar (b. 1973) |
Thirumangalam | 19 July 2022 | 5 May 2026 | 3 years, 290 days | ||||||
| 10 |  |
K. N. Nehru (b. 1952) |
Tiruchirappalli (West) | 11 May 2026 | Incumbent | 90 days | 17th (2026) |
Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam | Udhayanidhi Stalin | ||
See also
Notes
- The ordinal number of the term being served by the person specified in the row in the corresponding period.
- Madras State was renamed as Tamil Nadu on 14 January 1969. Subsequently, the position of the Leader of Opposition in the Madras State Assembly became the Leader of Opposition in the Tamil Nadu Legislative Assembly.
- No political party met the minimum criteria of ten percent seats in the assembly