CHENNAI: A common myth is that the AIADMK never faced electoral defeat during the life time of its founder MG Ramachandran, popularly known as MGR. This is not entirely true. January 1980 parliamentary polls was the only exception in MGR’s political career. One of the main reasons was wide-spread opposition to the MGR government’s new law fixing an income limit for people from backward classes to get benefits under the reservation quota.
At the national level too, the political scenario was much turbulent. After Indira Gandhi ’s defeat in 1977 elections, the government formed by a rainbow alliance under Morarji Desai collapsed after a split in the coalition government. The subsequent government formed by Charan Singh, with the support of Congress, too collapsed after Congress withdrew support. This forced an early elections for parliament.
DMK leader M Karunanidhi formed an alliance with Congress, burying the hatred against its leader Indira Gandhi who had dismissed Karunanidhi’s government and arrested several prominent DMK leaders during the Emergency. Karunanidhi’s famed electoral slogan was “Nehruvin magale varuga, nilayana aatchi tharuga” (Welcome, Nehru’s daughter, give us a stable government).
MGR, who had registered a massive victory is his new party’s first ever elections in 1977, was facing a tough time as the Chief Minister. Opposition DMK was staging a series of protests over various public issues. The State government earned a bad name when eight farmers were shot dead during a protest by Tamilaga Vivasayigal Sangam, led by Narayanasamy Naidu, seeking reduction of electricity tariff for farmers. However, what created much wide-spread discontent was the MGR government’s new rule which laid down that anyone with an annual family income above `9,000 was ineligible to get benefits under the reservation quota for the backward classes.
The poll results was a jolt for MGR. The DMK-Congress alliance swept the elections winning 38 of the 40 constituencies in Tamil Nadu and Puducherry. AIADMK won just two seats. Congress returned to power at Centre and Indira Gandhi government dismissed State governments by parties that had contested against Congress in parliamentary polls. This forced an early election for the
Tamil Nadu Assembly in May 1980. In his eagerness to defeat MGR, Karunanidhi again tied up with Congress and allotted the national party 114 seats in the alliance. DMK contested only in 112 seats.
Soon after the defeat in the parliamentary polls, MGR withdrew the income limit for people to avail benefits under the backward class quota. MGR played the victimhood card since his government was dismissed for no valid reason.