The first legislature of any sort for the Presidency was the Madras Legislative Council, which was set up as a non-representative advisory body in 1861.

The Government of India Act 1935 abolished diarchy and created a bicameral legislature in the Madras Presidency.

The Legislative Council was abolished in 1986, making the legislature a unicameral body and the assembly its sole chamber.

It was constituted after the 2021 assembly election, which resulted in the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK)-led front winning and forming the government.

The Government of India Act 1935 abolished diarchy and created a bicameral legislature in Madras province.

C. Rajagopalachari became the first elected chief minister of the Presidency under the provincial autonomy system guaranteed by the Government of India Act 1935.

[3] The first assembly lasted its term until February 1943, but the Congress cabinet resigned in October 1939, protesting India's participation in World War II.

From 1939 to 1946, Madras was under the direct rule of the governor and no elections were held in 1943 when the assembly's term expired.

Next elections were held only in 1946, when a political compromise was reached between the Congress and viceroy Lord Wavell.

[7] In the Republic of India, the Madras State Legislative Assembly continued to be the lower house in a bicameral legislature.

The voting method and the plurality electoral formula were defined in The Representation of People Act, 1950.

[12] Of the 375 seats, 143 were from what later became Andhra state, 29 were from Malabar, 11 from South Canara (part of present-day Karnataka) and the remaining 190 belonged to Tamil Nadu.

The Tamil-speaking area of Kerala (present day Kanyakumari district) and Sengottai taluk were added to Madras State.

In 1959, as result of The Andhra Pradesh and Madras (Alteration of Boundaries) Act 1959, one member from the Andhra Pradesh Legislative Assembly was allotted to Madras increasing its Legislative Assembly strength to 206.

M. Karunanidhi, J. Jayalalithaa, and Vijayakant conducted themselves in this manner, unless an extremely important situation happened.

Fort St. George has historically been the seat of the Government of Tamil Nadu since colonial times.

However, with the reorganisation of states and formation of Andhra, the strength came down to 190 and the assembly moved back to Fort St. George in 1956.

He resigned as a member of parliament and was elected to the state legislative council to become chief minister.

The bust of P. Rajagopalachari and L. D. Swamikannu Pillai, former presidents of the Madras Legislative Council, adorns the assembly lobby.