List of Chief Ministers of Tamil Nadu [1920-2026]

Last Updated on June 21, 2026 by Bharat

Key Takeaways

• C. Joseph Vijay (Vijay Thalapathy) is the current Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu, who assumed the office on 10 May 2026.
• Tamil Nadu has more than 100 years of political and administrative history, and the first Chief Minister of the Madras Presidency (later Tamil Nadu) was A. Subbarayalu Reddiar in 1920.
• The first female Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu was Janaki Ramachandran in 1988.

Tamil Nadu has a rich political history, starting from the Madras Presidency era (pre-independence) to a modern democratic state in India as Tamil Nadu. The current Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu is C.Joseph Vijay , who has been serving as a Tamil Nadu CM since May 10, 2026.

Note: As per the Assembly Elections Result in 2026, Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK), led by actor-turned-politician Joseph Vijay Chandrasekhar, who is also known as Vijay Thalapathy, emerged as the single largest party in the 2026 Tamil Nadu Legislative Assembly elections, winning 108 seats. Despite this historic debut, the state has produced a hung assembly for the first time, as the TVK fell 10 seats short of the 118-seat majority. With support from Indian National Congress ( INC), Viduthalai Chiruthaigal Katchi (VCK), Indian Union Muslim League (IUML), and CPI-M, and Communist Party of India (CPI), Vijay formed the government and became the chief minister of Tamil Nadu in 2026.

In this article, we explore the complete list of Chief Ministers of Tamil Nadu from 1920 to 2026, including their tenures, party affiliations, key constituencies, and their impact on the state.

Who is the Current Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu?

C. Joseph Vijay, famously known as Vijay Thalapathy, is the new Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu. He was sworn in on 10th May 2026, making him the 9th person to hold this position. He was a popular star in Tamil films before he joined politics. He became a household name in India with his movies.

Also Read: List of Chief Ministers of West Bengal (1947- 2026)

Tamil Nadu CM List [1920-2026]

Here is the list of Chief Ministers of Tamil Nadu from 1920 to 2026 given below in the table format with their name, tenure, party, and constituency:

No.	Name	Tenure	Party	Constituency
1	A. Subbarayalu Reddiar	Dec 1920 – Jul 1921	Justice Party	NA
2	Raja of Panagal	Jul 1921 – Dec 1926	Justice Party	NA
3	P. Subbarayan	Dec 1926 – Oct 1930	Independent	NA
4	B. Munuswamy Naidu	Oct 1930 – Nov 1932	Justice Party	NA
5	Ramakrishna Ranga Rao	Nov 1932 – Apr 1936	Justice Party	NA
6	C. Rajagopalachari	Apr 1937 – Oct 1939	Indian National Congress	NA
–	(President’s Rule during WWII)	1939 – 1946	–	–
7	T. Prakasam	Apr 1946 – Mar 1947	Indian National Congress	NA
8	O. P. Ramaswamy Reddiar	Mar 1947 – Apr 1949	Indian National Congress	NA
9	Kumaraswami Raja	Apr 1949 – Apr 1952	Indian National Congress	NA
10	C. Rajagopalachari	Apr 1952 – Apr 1954	Indian National Congress	NA
11	K. Kamaraj	Apr 1954 – Oct 1963	Indian National Congress	Virudhunagar
12	M. Bhaktavatsalam	Oct 1963 – Mar 1967	Indian National Congress	Sriperumbudur
13	C. N. Annadurai	Mar 1967 – Feb 1969	Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam	Legislative Council
14	V. R. Nedunchezhiyan (Acting)	Feb 1969 – Mar 1969	DMK	Triplicane
15	M. Karunanidhi	Mar 1969 – Jan 1976	DMK	Saidapet
–	(President’s Rule)	Jan 1976 – Jun 1977	–	–
16	M. G. Ramachandran	Jun 1977 – Dec 1987	AIADMK	Aruppukottai
17	V. R. Nedunchezhiyan (Acting)	Dec 1987 – Jan 1988	AIADMK	Athoor
18	V. N. Janaki Ramachandran	Jan 1988 – Jan 1988	AIADMK	NA
–	(President’s Rule)	Jan 1988 – Jan 1989	–	–
19	M. Karunanidhi	Jan 1989 – Jan 1991	DMK	Harbour
–	(President’s Rule)	Jan 1991 – Jun 1991	–	–
20	J. Jayalalithaa	Jun 1991 – May 1996	AIADMK	Bargur
21	M. Karunanidhi	May 1996 – May 2001	DMK	Chepauk
22	J. Jayalalithaa	May 2001 – Sep 2001	AIADMK	NA
23	O. Panneerselvam	Sep 2001 – Mar 2002	AIADMK	Periyakulam
24	J. Jayalalithaa	Mar 2002 – May 2006	AIADMK	Andipatti
25	M. Karunanidhi	May 2006 – May 2011	DMK	Chepauk
26	J. Jayalalithaa	May 2011 – Sep 2014	AIADMK	Srirangam
27	O. Panneerselvam	Sep 2014 – May 2015	AIADMK	Bodinayakanur
28	J. Jayalalithaa	May 2015 – Dec 2016	AIADMK	Dr. Radhakrishnan Nagar
29	O. Panneerselvam	Dec 2016 – Feb 2017	AIADMK	Bodinayakanur
30	Edappadi K. Palaniswami	Feb 2017 – May 2021	AIADMK	Edappadi
31	M. K. Stalin (Current)	May 2021 – May 2026	DMK	Kolathur
32	C Joseph Vijay	May 2026-Present	TVK	Perambur

Test Your Knowledge Here

Question: How many times has President’s Rule (Article 356) been imposed in Tamil Nadu?

A. 2 times

B. 3 times

C. 4 times

D. 5 times

Answer: C) 4 times

Explanation: As per the Department of Legal Affairs, President’s Rule (Article 356) has been imposed 4 times in Tamil Nadu. These dates are:

1. January 31, 1976 – June 30, 1977
2. February 17, 1980 – June 9, 1980
3. January 30, 1988 – January 27, 1989
4. January 30, 1991 – June 24, 1991

What are the roles and responsibilities of CM of Tamil Nadu?

The Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu is appointed by the Governor and serves for five years, with the option to be re-elected. The CM serves as the chief of the state’s executive department, responsible for developing and executing policies affecting millions of people.The CM of Tamil Nadu plays a vital role in decisions related to health, education, infrastructure, and welfare.

Over the years, Tamil Nadu has witnessed changes in its political leadership, particularly among the two major political parties:

1. Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) and
2. All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK).

President’s Rule in Tamil Nadu

There were four instances of President’s Rule in Tamil Nadu:

• 1976–1977
• 1980
• 1988–1989
• 1991 

Also Read: List of Chief Ministers of Kerala (1957 – 2026)

Important Fact about the Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu

• A. Subbarayalu Reddiar was the first Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu (formerly the Madras Presidency) from April to July 1921.
• The longest term of a Chief Minister is J. Jayalalithaa, who has served six non-consecutive terms totaling over 14 years.
• The first female Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu was Janaki Ramachandran, in 1988, after the death of M. G. Ramachandran (MGR).
• The AIADMK (All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam) has been a major political party with prominent leaders such as MGR and Jayalalithaa as Chief Ministers.
• M. G. Ramachandran (MGR), a former actor and political icon, served as Chief Minister for more than a decade, gaining a huge following.
• The DMK (Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam) party has also had prominent leaders, such as M. Karunanidhi, who served as Chief Minister for several terms and played a key role in Dravidian politics.
• Following Jayalalithaa’s passing in 2016, the AIADMK party fractured into two groups led by O. Panneerselvam and Edappadi K. Palaniswami.
• Tamil Nadu was the epicenter of the Dravidian movement, shaping its politics, policies, and culture.
• Tamil Nadu has a federal political system, with the Chief Minister as the head of the state executive.
• Politically, Tamil Nadu is characterised by frequent elections, coalition-building, and changes in government primarily between AIADMK and DMK.
• Many reforms in education, health, welfare, and service delivery have been implemented by Tamil Nadu Chief Ministers.
• Chief Ministers also play an important role in protecting Tamil culture, Tamil identity, and the Tamil language.

This was all about the complete list of Chief Ministers of Tamil Nadu from 1920 to 2026, which will help those students who are appearing for any government or competitive exams. 

For more such well-researched GK articles helpful for exam aspirants and general readers seeking authentic and up-to-date coverage of current affairs, history, polity, science, technology, economy, sports, and beyond, keep exploring various categories of GKinfoBuzz, your trusted resource for knowledge and information.