A look at what defined the outgoing 16th Assembly of Tamil Nadu

The tenure of the 16^th Tamil Nadu Legislative Assembly, which began on May 11, 2021, was marked by several distinctive developments including sustained confrontation between the Governor and the State government, historic resolutions, and notable administrative innovations.

The House was constituted following the DMK’s return to power with a clear majority after a gap of 25 years. While the party had formed the government in 2006 with 96 members and outside support from allies, including the Congress and PMK, the 2021 mandate was decisive. The DMK secured 133 seats, comfortably crossing the majority mark of 118, while overall, its Secular Progressive Alliance bagged 159 seats.

The last time the DMK had secured a majority on its own was in 1996, amid a sweeping anti-incumbency wave against the then AIADMK government led by Jayalalithaa.

NEET Bill episode

One of the defining moments came within a year of the constitution of the 16^th Assembly. On February 8, 2022, during a special session, the House took an unprecedented step of re-adopting a Bill returned by the Governor. The Bill seeking exemption from the National Eligibility-cum-Entrance Test (NEET) for undergraduate medical admissions in the State, was readopted with the support of members cutting across party lines, including the AIADMK, barring the four BJP members who staged a walkout.

The original Bill, adopted on September 13, 2021, was passed during the tenure of then Governor Banwarilal Purohit. Within days, he was transferred, and R.N. Ravi assumed office as Governor on September 18, 2021. The issue soon became a flashpoint. In 2022, Mr. Ravi returned the Bill, arguing it was not in the interest of students, particularly those from rural and economically weaker backgrounds.

After being re-adopted by the Assembly, the Bill was forwarded for Presidential assent. On April 4, 2025, Chief Minister M.K. Stalin informed the House that President Droupadi Murmu had withheld assent to the Bill. The State subsequently moved the Supreme Court on this issue.

The NEET Bill episode was only the beginning of a broader and persistent pattern of friction between the Governor and the State government. Mr. Ravi’s tenure, spanning nearly 54 months, was marked by repeated disagreements over legislative procedures, gubernatorial discretion, and constitutional conventions.

Customary address

Tensions were particularly visible during the opening session of the Assembly every year when the Governor had to deliver the Customary Address. Except for delivering the first address in 2022, the Governor walked out the House in each subsequent years at different stages of proceedings.

In 2023, he left at the end of the session after the Chief Minister objected to selective deviations from the approved text of the Governor’s address and moved a resolution to take on record only the official version. In 2024, the Governor read only the opening portion of the address before leaving. His office later alleged the address “contained numerous passages with misleading claims and facts,” and reading them would have made it a “constitutional travesty.”

In 2025, he did not deliver the customary address at all, walking out and later the Raj Bhavan (now Lok bhavan) saying he left “in deep anguish,” alleging the “Constitution of Bharat” and the national anthem were “insulted” in the Assembly.

This year, he walked out soon after Assmebly proceedings began. Later, the Lok Bhavan said Mr. Ravi declined to read the speech as it contained “numerous unsubstantiated claims and misleading statements.” It also alleged several key public issues were ignored and that the Governor’s microphone was “repeatedly switched off,” preventing him from speaking.

No-confidence motion against Speaker

Beyond these confrontations, the Assembly also witnessed a rare institutional moment when the AIADMK moved a no-confidence motion against Speaker M. Appavu, alleging bias in the conduct of proceedings. The motion was taken up for discussion under the chairmanship of Deputy Speaker K. Pitchandi but was defeated after the ruling DMK and its allies voted against it. A total of 154 members opposed the motion, while 63 supported it.

Alongside political developments, the 16^th Assembly also introduced notable administrative changes. In a significant departure from tradition, the House shifted to a fully digital mode of budget presentation. On August 13, 2021, the revised Budget for 2021-22 was presented in a paperless format by then Finance Minister Palanivel Thiaga Rajan.

This transition was supported by a comprehensive technological setup. With Assembly sessions held at Kalaivanar Arangam due to COVID-19 protocols, all 234 MLAs were provided with tablet devices, enabling real-time access to budget documents. The practice has continued since.

Another key initiative was the introduction of a separate Agriculture Budget, presented annually by the Agriculture Minister, marking a focused policy approach to the sector.

The 16^th Assembly also represented a generational shift in Tamil Nadu politics. It was the first Assembly formed after the passing of two towering former Chief Ministers, M. Karunanidhi and Jayalalithaa, signalling a new phase in the State’s political landscape.

The tenure was not without moments of tragedy. The deaths of Congress MLA from Erode East E. Thirumahan Everaa and later his father E.V.K.S. Elangovan, who was elected in a bypoll, caused distress. The House also saw resignations of legislators from different parties, who switched loyalties, midway.

The tenure of the current Assembly, which saw fewer sittings than in the past, would end on May 10, 2026.

Published – March 24, 2026 12:18 pm IST