DMK ends Congress's unbroken run in Madras
What happened
Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam won power in Madras State, ending Indian National Congress's unbroken rule since the state's first election.
It won 137 of the 234 seats, a landslide.
The INC fell to 51 seats, a collapse from its previous strength.
Yet the two parties finished close on the vote itself: 41.1% for INC against 40.7% for DMK.
The campaign
On 12 January 1967, DMK candidate and film star MG Ramachandran was shot in the throat by fellow actor MR Radha in Madras. Ramachandran recovered in hospital for weeks, and the DMK circulated posters of him recuperating in a neck cast to draw public sympathy.1
DMK's election manifesto promised rice at one rupee for three padis, about 4.5 kilograms, with party leader CN Annadurai pledging to implement the price if elected.2
The rationalist Dravidar Kazhagam, led by Periyar E V Ramasamy — the movement DMK had itself split from in 1949 — campaigned for the incumbent Congress against Annadurai's DMK.3
Polling for the 234-seat Assembly was staggered across three phases, held on 5, 18 and 21 February 1967.4
- 1DMK Candidate M. G. Ramachandran Shot by M. R. Radha — M. G. Ramachandran, 1967 Madras State Legislative Assembly election
- 2DMK Manifesto Pledges Rice at One Rupee a Measure — 1967 Madras State Legislative Assembly election, Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam
- 3Dravidar Kazhagam Under Periyar Campaigns for Congress Against DMK — 1967 Madras State Legislative Assembly election
- 4Madras Assembly Election Held in Three Polling Phases — 1967 Madras State Legislative Assembly election
What changed
The end of Congress's winning streak was the real break with the past in Madras politics.
INC had won 3 elections in a row before this one.
DMK's own total grew from 50 to 137 seats.
Its wider alliance reached 157 seats altogether, 67.1% of the house.
Turnout, the share of registered voters who actually cast a ballot, reached 76.6%, the highest yet recorded in the state.
Notable numbers
Vanur, Madras saw the tightest finish of the election: the margin — how far ahead the winner finished, in votes, over whoever came second — was 70 votes.
Usilampatti, Madras saw the widest margin, with the winner finishing 46.0% of the vote ahead of the runner-up.
Uppiliapuram, Madras recorded the highest turnout of any seat, 87.6%.
Saidapet, Madras was the largest constituency by registered voters, with 1,21,979 on its rolls.
The backdrop
CN Annadurai was sworn in as Chief Minister on 6 March 1967, the state's first non-Congress government.5
- 5DMK Ends Congress Rule In 1967 Madras Election — 1967 Madras State Legislative Assembly election, C. N. Annadurai