# List of leaders of the house in the Tamil Nadu Legislative Assembly

The leader of the house in the Tamil Nadu Legislative Assembly is an elected member of the legislative assembly who leads the ruling party in the Tamil Nadu Legislative Assembly. The leader of the house in the Tamil Nadu Legislative Assembly is the chairperson of the legislative assembly's largest political party, which is part of the government of Tamil Nadu. The government appoints one of the ministers as the leader of the house. Rules of procedure provide that the speaker of the legislative assembly shall consult the leader of the house before allocating time for discussion of certain items of business. The arrangement of government business is his ultimate responsibility. His foremost duty is to assist the speaker in the conduct of business.
Since 1952, the Tamil Nadu Legislative Assembly has had 12 leaders of the house. Former minister of defence of the Republic of India C. Subramaniam of the Indian National Congress was the inaugural holder of the office of leader of the house in the legislative assembly. Former acting chief minister of Tamil Nadu V. R. Nedunchezhiyan, the longest-serving leader of the house, was chosen from both Dravidian parties, the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam and the All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam, which ruled Tamil Nadu for several periods of time. K. Anbazhagan from the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam has the second longest tenure. R. M. Veerappan has the shortest tenure (only 23 days). M. Bhakthavatsalam served as the leader of the house before taking the oath as the chief minister, and he continued as the leader of the house till the end of his tenure as chief minister. M. Karunanidhi, and O. Panneerselvam are the former chief ministers of Tamil Nadu who also were designated as leaders of the house in the Tamil Nadu Legislative Assembly.
The current incumbent has been Duraimurugan of the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam since 11 May 2021.

## List
### Key

* $^{RES}$ Resigned
* $^†$ Died in office
* $^§$ Returned to office after a previous non-consecutive term

### Legend

* Indian National Congress
* Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam
* All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam
| No. | Portrait | Name (Birth–Death) | Elected constituency | Term of office | Term of office | Term of office | Assembly (Election) | Speaker | Political party | Political party |
| No. | Portrait | Name (Birth–Death) | Elected constituency | Assumed office | Left office | Time in office | Assembly (Election) | Speaker | Political party | Political party |
| 1 | | C. Subramaniam (1910–2000) | Coimbatore East | 3 May 1952 | 31 March 1957 | 9 years, 273 days | 1st (1952) | J. Shivashanmugam N. Gopala Menon | Indian National Congress | |
| 1 | | C. Subramaniam (1910–2000) | Kovilpalayam | 29 April 1957 | 1 March 1962 | 9 years, 273 days | 2nd (1957) | U. Krishna Rao | Indian National Congress | |
| 2 | | M. Bhakthavatsalam (1897–1987) | Sriperumbudur | 29 March 1962 | 28 February 1967 | 4 years, 336 days | 3rd (1962) | S. Chellapandian | Indian National Congress | |
| 3 | | V. R. Nedunchezhiyan (1920–2000) | Triplicane | 6 March 1967 | 10 February 1969 | 1 year, 341 days | 4th (1967) | S. P. Adithanar Pulavar K. Govindan | Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam | |
| 4 | | M. Karunanidhi (1924–2018) | Saidapet | 13 February 1969 | 13 August 1969 | 181 days | 4th (1967) | S. P. Adithanar Pulavar K. Govindan | Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam | |
| (3) | | V. R. Nedunchezhiyan (1920–2000) | Triplicane | 14 August 1969 | 5 January 1971 | 6 years, 100 days | 4th (1967) | S. P. Adithanar Pulavar K. Govindan | Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam | |
| (3) | | V. R. Nedunchezhiyan (1920–2000) | Triplicane | 16 March 1971 | 31 January 1976 | 6 years, 100 days | 5th (1971) | K. A. Mathiazhagan Pulavar K. Govindan | Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam | |
| 5 | | Nanjil K. Manoharan (1929–2000) | Palayamkottai | 4 July 1977 | 17 February 1980 | 2 years, 228 days | 6th (1977) | Munu Adhi | All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam | |
| (3) | | V. R. Nedunchezhiyan (1920–2000) | Tirunelveli | 19 June 1980 | 15 November 1984 | 7 years, 99 days | 7th (1980) | K. Rajaram | All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam | |
| (3) | | V. R. Nedunchezhiyan (1920–2000) | Athoor | 25 February 1985 | 6 January 1988 | 7 years, 99 days | 8th (1984) | P. H. Pandian | All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam | |
| 6 | | R. M. Veerappan (1926–2024) | Tirunelveli | 7 January 1988 | 30 January 1988 | 23 days | 8th (1984) | P. H. Pandian | All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam | |
| 7 | | K. Anbazhagan (1922–2020) | Anna Nagar | 6 February 1989 | 30 January 1991 | 1 year, 358 days | 9th (1989) | M. Tamilkudimagan | Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam | |
| (3) | | V. R. Nedunchezhiyan (1920–2000) | Theni | 1 July 1991 | 13 May 1996 | 4 years, 317 days | 10th (1991) | Sedapatti R. Muthiah | All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam | |
| (7) | | K. Anbazhagan (1922–2020) | Harbour | 22 May 1996 | 14 May 2001 | 4 years, 357 days | 11th (1996) | P. T. R. Palanivel Rajan | Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam | |
| 8 | | C. Ponnaiyan (b. 1942) | Tiruchengode | 22 May 2001 | 12 May 2006 | 4 years, 355 days | 12th (2001) | K. Kalimuthu | All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam | |
| (7) | | K. Anbazhagan (1922–2020) | Harbour | 17 May 2006 | 14 May 2011 | 4 years, 362 days | 13th (2006) | R. Avudaiappan | Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam | |
| 9 | | O. Panneerselvam (b. 1951) | Bodinayakkanur | 23 May 2011 | 27 November 2014 | 3 years, 188 days | 14th (2011) | D. Jayakumar P. Dhanapal | All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam | |
| 10 | | Natham R. Viswanathan (b. 1949) | Natham | 28 November 2014 | 11 August 2015 | 256 days | 14th (2011) | D. Jayakumar P. Dhanapal | All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam | |
| (9) | | O. Panneerselvam (b. 1951) | Bodinayakkanur | 12 August 2015 | 21 May 2016 | 1 year, 185 days | 14th (2011) | D. Jayakumar P. Dhanapal | All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam | |
| (9) | | O. Panneerselvam (b. 1951) | Bodinayakkanur | 25 May 2016 | 16 February 2017 | 1 year, 185 days | 15th (2016) | P. Dhanapal | All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam | |
| 11 | | K. A. Sengottaiyan (b. 1948) | Gobichettipalayam | 17 February 2017 | 3 January 2018 | 320 days | 15th (2016) | P. Dhanapal | All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam | |
| (9) | | O. Panneerselvam (b. 1951) | Bodinayakkanur | 4 January 2018 | 3 May 2021 | 3 years, 119 days | 15th (2016) | P. Dhanapal | All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam | |
| 12 | | Duraimurugan (b. 1938) | Katpadi | 11 May 2021 | Incumbent | 3 years, 307 days | 16th (2021) | M. Appavu | Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam | |

### Timeline
## Statistics
### List of leaders of the house by length of term

| No. | Name | Party | Party | Length of term | Length of term |
| No. | Name | Party | Party | Longest continuous term | Total years of house-ship |
| 1 | V. R. Nedunchezhiyan | AIADMK/DMK | | 7 years, 99 days | 20 years, 127 days |
| 2 | K. Anbazhagan | DMK | | 4 years, 362 days | 11 years 347 days |
| 3 | C. Subramaniam | INC | | 9 years, 273 days | 9 years, 273 days |
| 4 | O. Panneerselvam | AIADMK | | 3 years, 188 days | 8 years 127 days |
| 5 | C. Ponnaiyan | AIADMK | | 4 years, 355 days | 4 years 355 days |
| 6 | M. Bhakthavatsalam | INC | | 4 years, 336 days | 4 years, 336 days |
| 7 | Duraimurugan | DMK | | 3 years, 307 days | 3 years, 307 days |
| 8 | Nanjil K. Manoharan | AIADMK | | 2 years, 228 days | 2 years 228 days |
| 9 | K. A. Sengottaiyan | AIADMK | | 320 days | 320 days |
| 10 | Natham R. Viswanathan | AIADMK | | 256 days | 256 days |
| 11 | M. Karunanidhi | DMK | | 181 days | 181 days |
| 12 | R. M. Veerappan | AIADMK | | 23 days | 23 days |

### List by party

Political parties by total time-span of their member holding LOHO (14 March 2025) :
| No. | Political party | Number of leaders of the house | Total days of holding LOHO |
| 1 | All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam | 7 | 10860 days |
| 2 | Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam | 4 | 8947 days |
| 3 | Indian National Congress | 2 | 5357 days |

### Parties by total duration (in days) of holding Leader of the House's Office

* AIADMK
* DMK
* INC