As the AIADMK government stepped into its fifth and final year of office on Saturday, the ruling party became the second in Tamil Nadu to be in power for more than nine years at a stretch.
Congress is the other party, whose rule in the State lasted for over 20 years without a break.
On May 16, 2011, the AIADMK returned to power and Jayalalithaa was sworn in as Chief Minister for the fourth time. After retaining power in the May 2016 Assembly elections, Jayalalithaa again became Chief Minister for the sixth time on May 23. The present House has one more year of its term left. After the death of Jayalalithaa in December 2016, O. Panneerselvam became Chief Minister for the third time and held the post till February 15, 2017. Since then, Edappadi K. Palaniswami has been at the helm of affairs.
Even though the party’s founder M.G. Ramachandran was Chief Minister between June 1977 and December 1987, there was a break in his spell as the State was under President’s rule between February and June 1980.
In March-April 1946 Assembly elections, the Congress captured power and its rule lasted till March 1967, when it was dislodged by the DMK. Between 1946 and 1952, the State had three Chief Ministers - T. Prakasam, Omandur P. Ramaswami Reddiar and P.S. Kumaraswami Raja. The first Assembly elections, post-Independence, which took place in February 1952, saw the Congress managing to hold on to power and it had three Chief Ministers in the next 15 years - C Rajagopalachari, popularly called Rajaji, K. Kamaraj and M. Bakthavatsalam
The DMK, which succeeded the Congress in March 1967, was in office till January 1976. In the intervening period, the State went to Assembly polls in March 1971. The party had two Chief Ministers – C.N. Annadurai and M. Karunanidhi.
Between 1989 and 2011, neither the DMK nor the AIADMK could retain power. This trend was broken by the latter in 2016.