A Congress split, and DMK's landslide return
What happened
The Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam returned to power in Tamil Nadu, defeating the All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam in a landslide.
It won 173 of the 234 seats.
That left it 55 seats clear of a majority, a supermajority beyond the 118-seat mark needed to govern alone.
Its nearest rival, the Tamil Maanila Congress (Moopanar), won 39 seats.
The DMK took 73.9% of the seats on 42.1% of the vote.
The campaign
On 29 March 1996, G.K. Moopanar led a breakaway faction out of the Congress and founded the Tamil Maanila Congress at Thiruparankundram, after party leader P.V. Narasimha Rao chose to renew ties with the AIADMK over his Tamil Nadu unit's objections. The new party allied with the DMK for the election.1
On 11 April 1996, a slipper was thrown at Chief Minister J. Jayalalithaa and her vehicle was stoned during a campaign stop at Usilampatti. In Theni, Finance Minister V.R. Nedunchezhiyan was separately blocked from parts of his own constituency.2
That same month, actor Rajinikanth campaigned for the DMK-Tamil Maanila Congress front, with his fan clubs canvassing for it statewide. In an appearance on Sun TV he declared that "even God cannot save Tamil Nadu if AIADMK returns to power."3
A record 1,033 candidates — 1,005 men and 28 women — filed for the Modakurichi seat in Erode district, and the Election Commission postponed polling there by a month. While the rest of Tamil Nadu voted on 2 May 1996, Modakurichi voted on 1 June 1996.4
- 1Congress Splits as Moopanar Forms Tamil Maanila Congress, Allies with DMK — Tamil Maanila Congress (Moopanar), 1996 Tamil Nadu Legislative Assembly election
- 2Slipper Thrown at Jayalalithaa, Vehicle Stoned at Usilampatti Campaign Stop — 1996 Tamil Nadu Legislative Assembly election, 1996 Tamil Nadu Legislative Assembly election
- 3Rajinikanth Campaigns for DMK-TMC Front, Warns Against an AIADMK Return — 1996 Tamil Nadu Legislative Assembly election, If She Wins: How Rajini Once Caused Jayalalithaa a Crushing Defeat
- 4Election Commission Postpones Modakurichi Polling a Month After Record 1,033 Candidates File — 1996 Tamil Nadu Legislative Assembly election, 1996 Tamil Nadu Legislative Assembly election
What changed
ADK's government collapsed at the ballot box.
The single biggest movement of the election ran from ADK to DMK, covering 138 of the 231 seats that changed hands between the two main parties.
DMK itself grew from 2 seats to 173 seats this time.
Turnout, the share of registered voters who actually cast a ballot, rose +2.1 pp from the previous election.
Notable numbers
The closest race was at Pennagaram, Tamil Nadu, decided by 406 votes.
Chepauk, Tamil Nadu was won by 59.8% of the vote.
Vedaranyam, Tamil Nadu recorded the highest turnout of any seat, 74.5%.
Villivakkam, Tamil Nadu was the largest constituency by registered voters, with 5,51,942 on its rolls.
The real outlier was Modakurichi in Erode district, where 1,033 candidates — 1,005 men and 28 women — stood for a single seat, and the Election Commission postponed polling there by a month.4
On average, 17.1 candidates contested each seat that year.
- 4Election Commission Postpones Modakurichi Polling a Month After Record 1,033 Candidates File — 1996 Tamil Nadu Legislative Assembly election, 1996 Tamil Nadu Legislative Assembly election
The backdrop
On 17 October 1972, M.G. Ramachandran was expelled from the DMK and went on to found what became the All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam, giving Tamil Nadu its second major Dravidian party.5
DMK and AIADMK have contested every state assembly election since 1977.5
AIADMK itself split after M.G. Ramachandran's death in 1987, before the factions reunited under J. Jayalalithaa's leadership by 1991.6
- 5MGR splits from DMK, founds AIADMK — All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam
- 6AIADMK splits after MGR's death, DMK returns in 1989 — 1989 Tamil Nadu Legislative Assembly election