Karunanidhi’s 1952–57 Tamil Nadu minority government: coalition politics and Assembly convention

Direct fact

In May 2026, The Hindu revisited Tamil Nadu’s coalition history, noting that the State last saw a coalition government in 1952 and that M. Karunanidhi later headed a minority government for five years, making it a useful case study in Dravidian-era governance.

Key specifics

• Tamil Nadu’s last coalition government was in 1952, according to the report.
• M. Karunanidhi is identified as having headed a minority government for 5 years.
• The article places the discussion in the context of Dravidian parties and coalition politics in Tamil Nadu.
• The piece is published by The Hindu - National and focuses on State political history.
• The topic is relevant to Assembly government formation, a recurring TNPSC polity theme.

Exam lens

Question type: polity-history match-the-following, coalition government in Tamil Nadu, 1952 and Karunanidhi’s minority ministry are the key facts; TNPSC may ask which State last had a coalition government in 1952 and who successfully led a minority government for five years.