Indian National Congress boycotted the election due to its participation in the Non-cooperation movement.

Justice party won the election with no significant opposition and A. Subbarayalu Reddiar became the inaugural First Minister of the Madras Presidency.

Although this Act brought about representative Government in India, the Governor was empowered with overriding powers.

Education, Sanitation, Local self-government, Agriculture and Industries were listed as the transferred subjects.

The Indian National Congress boycotted the election due to its participation in the Non-cooperation movement.

The Madras Mail reported that the turnout was low compared to elections for British parliament, but nonetheless, an impressive demonstration of growth of political consciousness.

[8] At first, Governor Willingdon invited the wealthy P. Theagaroya Chetty, the leader of the justice party to form the government.

He recommended that A. Subbarayalu Reddiar, Ramarayaningar (Raja of Panagal) and Kurma Venkata Reddy Naidu, all Telugu members, be made ministers.

Ramarayaningar became the minister of local self-government & Public health, while Venkata Reddy Naidu was given the Development portfolio.

[12] On 11 July 1921, Raja of Panagal took over as Premier when Subbarayalu Reddiar resigned on health grounds and A. P. Patro, an Orissa lawyer was appointed as the minister of Education.

The Justice party which came into existence in 1916 was able to capture power on social development and non-Brahmin platform.

Noting the significance of its victory, the Official review of the Government of India (1921–22) said: For the first time in the history of India, the lower castes of Madras have asserted themselves against the intellectual oligarchy of the upper caste and have seized political power in their own hands...The first bulwark of caste dominance in political matters has been stormed as a result of the recent constitutional changes[8]Some of the legislative initiatives of the first Justice Government have had a lasting impact and are still in practice in one form or another.

This resolution cleared the way for Dr. Muthulakshmi Reddi's nomination to the council in 1926, when she became the first woman to become a member of any legislature in India.