The Council became a unicameral legislative body in 1921 and eventually the upper chamber of a bicameral legislature in 1937.

The former AIADMK regime (2016-2021) expressed its intention not to revive the council and passed a resolution in the Tamil Nadu Legislative Assembly in this regard.

The Act empowered the provincial Governor to nominate four non-English Indian members to the council for the first time.

The Indians nominated under this Act were mostly zamindars and ryotwari landowners, who often benefited from their association with the colonial government.

Other prominent members during the period included V. Bhashyam Aiyangar, S. Subramania Iyer and C. Sankaran Nair.

The Governor preferred to convene the Council at his summer retreat Udagamandalam, much to the displeasure of the Indian members.

The Council could also discuss the annual financial statement and ask questions subject to certain limitations.

C. Jambulingam Mudaliar, N. Subba Rao Pantulu, P. Kesava Pillai and C. Vijayaraghavachariar representing southern group of district boards, Kruthiventi Perraju Pantulu of the northern group of municipalities, C. Sankaran Nair and P. Rangaiah Naidu from the Corporation of Madras and P. S. Sivaswami Iyer, V. Krishnaswamy Iyer and M. Krishnan Nair from the University of Madras were some of the active members.

[1] However, over a period of time, representation by Indian members dwindled, for example, the position of Bashyam Iyengar and Sankaran Nayar in 1902 was occupied by Acworth and Sir George Moore.

It abolished automatic official (executive) majorities in the Council and gave its members the power to move resolutions upon matters of general public interest and the budget and also to ask supplementary questions.

P. Kesava Pillai, A. S. Krishna Rao, N. Krishnaswami Iyengar, B. N. Sarma, B. V. Narasimha Iyer, K. Perraju Pantulu, T. V. Seshagiri Iyer, P. Siva Rao, V. S. Srinivasa Sastri, P. Theagaraya Chetty and Yakub Hasan Sait were among the active members.

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.

However, the provincial legislature and the ministers did not have any control over the reserved subjects, which came under the Governor and his Executive council.

The legislative council was abolished in 1986 by the All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK) government of M. G. Ramachandran (MGR).

MGR had nominated a Tamil film actress, Vennira Aadai Nirmala (aka A.

On 21 April, a lawyer named S. K. Sundaram, filed a public interest writ petition in the Madras High Court challenging Nirmala's nomination to the Council.

MGR loaned Nirmala a sum of Rupees 4,65,000 from ADMK's party funds to pay off her creditors,[15][16] so that her insolvency declaration could be annulled.

The same day, Nirmala's lawyer Subramaniam Pichai, was able to persuade judge Ramalingam to set aside her insolvency.

The Governor of Tamil Nadu, Sundar Lal Khurana asked MGR to explain how Nirmala's nomination was proposed without proper vetting.

The Tamil Nadu Legislative Council (Abolition) Bill, 1986 was passed by both houses of the Parliament and received the assent of the president on 30 August 1986.

[2] The Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) has so far made three unsuccessful attempts to revive the council.

In his inaugural address to the 13th Legislative Assembly delivered on 24 May 2006, Governor Surjit Singh Barnala said steps will be taken to move the necessary constitutional amendments for reviving the council.

[22] The DMK's earlier attempts to revive the council, when it was in power during 1989–91 and 1996-2001 were not successful, as it did not possess both the two-thirds majority in the Legislative Assembly and a friendly union government necessary for it to be done.

[25] The Tamil Nadu Legislative Council Act, 2010 received the assent of President on 18.5.2010 and published on the same day.

[27] However, in February 2011, the Supreme Court of India stayed the elections to the new council, till the petitions challenging its revival could be heard.

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 legislature moved back to Fort St. George in 1956.

[32][33][34][35][36] List of historical locations where the Tamil Nadu Legislative Council has been housed: During its existence as the upper chamber of Tamil Nadu Legislature, the Council has been used thrice to appoint non-members of the Legislature as Chief Minister.

After dyarchy introduced, the first and second council presidents, Perungavalur Rajagopalachari and L. D. Swamikannu Pillai, were appointed by the Governor himself.