PrepMaticTamil Nadu GK · Government & administration
Tamil Nadu Legislative Assembly: seats, powers and key facts
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The Tamil Nadu Legislative Assembly has 234 elected members, of whom 44 sit in seats reserved for Scheduled Castes and 2 in seats reserved for Scheduled Tribes. A party or alliance needs 118 members for a majority. The legislature has had only the Assembly since the Legislative Council was abolished in 1986. A full term is five years. This page collects the numbers, the officers and the constitutional rules that exam questions pick from.
Key numbers
| Item | Fact |
|---|---|
| Total seats | 234 (a number used since the 1967 election) |
| Reserved for SC | 44 |
| Reserved for ST | 2 |
| Majority mark | 118 |
| Term | 5 years, unless dissolved earlier |
| Houses | One (unicameral); the Legislative Council was abolished in 1986 |
| Minimum age to contest | 25 years (Article 173) |
| Anglo-Indian nominee | The Governor could nominate one until 2020; the 104th Amendment ended the provision |
| Lok Sabha seats from Tamil Nadu | 39 (7 reserved for SC) |
| Rajya Sabha seats from Tamil Nadu | 18 |
| Elected assembly after the 2021 election | The 16th Assembly |
| Assembly named on the official website in October 2026 | The 17th Assembly |
The Assembly sits in Fort St George, Chennai, which also houses the Secretariat.
Who does what
- Governor. The constitutional head of the state. Appoints the Chief Minister (Article 164), summons and prorogues the Assembly and can dissolve it. A bill passed by the Assembly becomes law only after the Governor's assent, or the President's, where the Constitution requires it.
- Chief Minister and Council of Ministers. Collectively responsible to the Assembly. Under the 91st Amendment (2003) the Council can have at most 15 per cent of the Assembly's strength, which is 35 ministers for a 234-member House. See Chief Ministers of Tamil Nadu.
- Speaker and Deputy Speaker. Elected by the members from among themselves. The Speaker presides, maintains order and decides on disqualification petitions under the anti-defection law (the Tenth Schedule). As of 9 October 2026 the Assembly's website showed Thiru J.C.D. Prabhakar as Speaker and Thiru M. Ravisankar as Deputy Speaker.
- Leader of the Opposition. Heads the largest party outside the government. The Assembly home page did not name the holder when checked, so look at the website for the current one.
How it relates to the rest of the state's system
The Assembly makes laws on subjects in the State List and the Concurrent List. It decides the budget, which is presented by the Finance Minister in the state's annual session. The three tiers of rural bodies and the urban bodies are creatures of state law and are covered in local bodies of Tamil Nadu. The commissions that report to the government are in Tamil Nadu state commissions.
History in brief
- The Madras Legislative Council gained an elected majority under the Government of India Act, 1919, and Dr Muthulakshmi Reddy became its first woman member in 1927.
- After 1950 the state had a bicameral legislature, with a Legislative Assembly and a Legislative Council. The Council was abolished with effect from 1986.
- The renamed Tamil Nadu Legislative Assembly dates from 1969. For the story of the name change see formation of Tamil Nadu.
Why the numbering is confusing
Assemblies are numbered in order of election: the first after the Constitution came into force was in 1952. The Assembly elected in 2021 is counted as the 16th, and the official website refers to a 17th Assembly in 2026. Do not rely on a static list for the current membership; use the Assembly's "Members" and "Party Position" pages.
Frequently asked questions
How many seats are there in the Tamil Nadu Legislative Assembly?
234 elected seats: 44 reserved for Scheduled Castes, 2 for Scheduled Tribes and 188 general.
How many members are needed for a majority?
118, which is more than half of 234.
Does Tamil Nadu have a Legislative Council?
No. It was abolished in 1986, and Tamil Nadu has a single-house (unicameral) legislature.
Who appoints the Chief Minister?
The Governor, who invites the leader that can command a majority in the Assembly.
Who is the Speaker now?
The Tamil Nadu Legislative Assembly website named Thiru J.C.D. Prabhakar as Speaker on 9 October 2026. Check the website for later changes.
Official sources
- Tamil Nadu Legislative Assembly: officeholders, members and party position.
- Election Commission of India: delimitation and election results.
- Constitution of India: Articles 164, 168, 170 and 173.
For constitutional details beyond this list, the TNPSC Indian polity guide covers the chapters in the order of the syllabus.
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- Chief Ministers of Tamil NaduList of Tamil Nadu Chief Ministers from 1947 with terms and parties, plus firsts and records: Kamaraj, Annadurai, Karunanidhi, MGR, Jayalalithaa and Stalin.
- Local bodies of Tamil NaduLocal bodies in Tamil Nadu explained: village panchayat, panchayat union, district panchayat, town panchayat, municipality and corporation, with heads.
- Formation of Tamil NaduHow Madras Presidency became Madras State and then Tamil Nadu: Andhra separation 1953, States Reorganisation 1956, renaming on 14 January 1969, Chennai 1996.
- Tamil Nadu state commissionsTamil Nadu's constitutional and statutory commissions: TNPSC, State Election Commission, Finance Commission, Human Rights, Women, Information, Lokayukta.
- Indian polityTNPSC Indian polity: the six syllabus areas, articles worth memorising, local government in Tamil Nadu, constitutional bodies and a Group 4 and 2 study plan.