The term of the 16th Tamil Nadu Legislative Assembly, which began on 11 May 2021, was marked by several notable developments, including sustained confrontation between the Governor and the state government, historic resolutions and notable administrative innovations.
The House was constituted after the DMK returned to power with a clear majority after 25 years. While the party formed the government in 2006 with 96 members and external support from allies including the Congress and the PMK, the 2021 mandate was crucial. The DMK secured 133 seats, comfortably crossing the majority mark of 118, while its Secular Progressive Alliance won a total of 159 seats.
The last time the DMK secured a majority on its own was in 1996, amid a widespread anti-incumbency wave against the then Jayalalithaa-led AIADMK government.
NEET Bill episode
One of the decisive moments occurred a year after the establishment of the 16th Diet. On February 8, 2022, during a special session, the House took the unprecedented step of re-enacting the bill returned by the governor. A bill seeking exemption from the National Eligibility-cum-Entrance Test (NEET) for undergraduate medical admissions in the state was again passed with the support of members across party lines, including the AIADMK, except for four BJP members who staged a walkout.
The original bill, passed on 13 September 2021, was passed during the tenure of then Governor Banwarilal Purohit. Within days, he was transferred and RN Ravi assumed the office of Governor on 18 September 2021. The matter soon became a flashpoint. In 2022, Mr. Ravi returned the bill saying it was not in the interest of students, especially those from rural and economically weaker sections.
After the bill was re-passed by the Assembly, it was forwarded to the President for assent. On 4 April 2025, Chief Minister MK Stalin informed the House that President Droupadi Murmu had refused assent to the bill. The state subsequently filed a petition with the Supreme Court in this matter.
The NEET Bill episode was only the beginning of a wider and sustained pattern of friction between the governor and the state government. Mr. Ravi’s nearly 54-month tenure was marked by repeated disagreements over legislative procedures, gubernatorial discretion and constitutional conventions.
Usual address
The tension was particularly evident during the opening session of the Assembly each year, when the governor had to deliver the usual speech. Except for the first address in 2022, the governor has left the House in each subsequent year at various stages of the proceedings.
In 2023, he walked out at the end of the session after the Chief Minister objected to selective deviations from the approved text of the Governor’s speech and proposed a resolution that only the official version be recorded. In 2024, the governor read only the opening part of the address before departing. His office later argued that the address “contained numerous passages of misleading statements and facts” and that reading them would make it a “constitutional travesty”.
In 2025, he did not make the usual speech at all, he walked out and later Raj Bhavan (now Lok bhavan) said he left “in deep distress”, claiming that the “Constitution of Bharat” and the national anthem had been “insulted” in the assembly.
This year, he left soon after the assembly proceedings began. Later, Lok Bhavan said Mr Ravi refused to read the speech because it contained “numerous unsubstantiated claims and misleading statements”. It also alleged that several key public issues were ignored and that the governor’s microphone was “repeatedly switched off”, preventing him from speaking.
Motion of no confidence in the speaker
Apart from 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 the proceedings. The motion was taken up under the chairmanship of Deputy Speaker K. Pitchandi but was rejected after the ruling DMK and its allies voted against it. A total of 154 deputies spoke against the proposal, 63 supported it.
In addition to political developments, the 16th Assembly also brought significant administrative changes. In a significant departure from tradition, the House has moved to a fully digital way of presenting the budget. On 13 August 2021, then Finance Minister Palanivel Thiaga Rajan presented the revised budget for 2021–22 in a paperless format.
This transition was supported by a complex technological setup. With the assembly sessions held at Kalaivanar Arangam due to the COVID-19 protocols, all 234 MLAs were provided with tablet devices that allowed real-time access to budget documents. The practice has continued ever since.
Another key initiative was the introduction of a separate budget for agriculture, presented annually by the Minister of Agriculture, which represents a targeted policy approach to the sector.
The 16th Assembly also represented a generational shift in Tamil Nadu politics. It was the first assembly formed after the exit of two senior former chief ministers, M Karunanidhi and Jayalalithaa, signaling a new phase in the state’s political landscape.
The tenure was not without moments of tragedy. The death of Congress MLA from Erode East E. Thirumahan Everao and later his father EVKS Elangovan, who was elected in a by-poll, caused consternation. The House also saw the resignations of lawmakers from various parties who switched loyalties in the middle.
The term of office of the current council, which had fewer meetings than in the past, will end on May 10, 2026.
Published – March 24, 2026 12:18 PM IST
