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{{Use dmy dates|date=June 2019}}
{{Use Indian English|date=June 2019}}
{{Infobox election
| election_name = 1934 Madras Presidency legislative council election
| country = British Raj
| type = parliamentary
| ongoing = no
| previous_election = 1930 Madras Presidency legislative council election
| previous_year = '''1930'''
| next_election = 1937 Madras Presidency legislative council election
| next_year = '''1937'''
| election_date = November 1934
| seats_for_election = 98 seats in [[Madras Legislative Council]]
| image1 = [[File:S_Satyamurti_1987_stamp_of_India.jpg|130x130px]]
| leader1 = [[Sathyamurthy]]
| party1 = Swaraj Party
| leaders_seat1 =
| seats1 = 29
| seat_change1 = +29
| popular_vote1 =
| percentage1 =
| swing1 =
| image2 = [[File:Raja_of_Bobbilli_17_February_2011.JPG|130x130px]]
| leader2 = [[Raja of Bobbili]]
| party2 = Justice Party (India)
| leaders_seat2 =
| seats2 =
| seat_change2 =
| popular_vote2 =
| percentage2 =
| swing2 =
| title = [[Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu|Chief Minister]]
| before_election = [[Raja of Bobbili]]
| before_party = Justice Party (India)
| after_election = [[Raja of Bobbili]]
| after_party = Justice Party (India)
| majority_seats = 50
}}

In the '''fifth legislative council election''' to [[Madras Presidency]] after the establishment of [[Diarchy in Madras Presidency|dyarchical]] system of government by the [[Government of India Act 1919|Government of India Act, 1919]] the ruling [[Justice Party (India)|Justice party]] lost the election and the opposition [[Swaraj Party]] emerged as the single largest party. However, it refused to form the government, due to its opposition to dyarchy. The incumbent chief minister, [[Raja of Bobbili]] retained power and formed a minority government.

==Background==
By 1933, constitutional reforms were imminent and dyarchy was expected to be abolished. The fourth council's term, which was to have ended on 5 November 1933, was extended by a year because it was believed a new council would not serve out its full term before dyarchy was abolished. But, after a year, the expected reforms had not materialized and fresh elections were held for a new council. The Justice party was split between the Zamindari and the non-Zamindari factions which struggled for power. The Zamindari faction eventually won and its leader, the [[Raja of Bobbili]], became the chief minister in November 1932 replacing [[P. Munuswamy Naidu]]. His pro-land owner economic policies amidst the [[Great Depression]] were hugely unpopular. The [[Indian National Congress]] and its electoral arm, the [[Swaraj Party]] decided to participate in the elections despite their opposition to dyarchy. The Congress was greatly rejuvenated by its successful organisation of the [[Salt Satyagraha]] and Civil Disobedience movement of 1930-31. The Civil Disobedience movement, the Land Tax reduction agitations and Union organizations helped the Congress to mobilize popular opposition to the Bobbili Raja government. In contrast, the faction ridden Justice party had to dilute its main plank of anti-Brahminism and allow Brahmins to become members.<ref name="ralhan">{{cite book | title=Encyclopaedia of Political Parties| last=Ralhan| first=O. P. | year=2002| pages=198| publisher=Anmol Publications PVT. LTD| isbn=978-81-7488-865-5}}</ref><ref name="Manikumar2">{{Cite book| last =Manikumar| first =K. A.| title = A colonial economy in the Great Depression, Madras (1929-1937)| publisher = Orient Blackswan| year = 2003| pages = 184–198| url =https://books.google.com/books?id=8eWkmxJRnoAC&pg=PA185 |isbn=978-81-250-2456-9}}</ref><ref name="rajaraman2">{{cite book | title=The Justice Party: a historical perspective, 1916-37| last=Rajaraman| first=P. | year=1988| pages=212–220| publisher=Poompozhil Publishers|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=GGMmAAAAMAAJ}}</ref>

== Constituencies ==
The [[Madras Legislative Council]] had a total of 132 members in addition to the [[Ex officio member|'' ex - officio'' members]] of the Governor's Executive Council. Out of the 132, 98 were elected from 61 constituencies of the presidency. The constituencies comprised three arbitrary divisions - 1) communal constituencies such as non-Muhammadan urban, non-Muhammadan rural, non-Brahman urban, [[Islam in India|Mohamaddan]] urban, Mohamaddan rural, Indian Christian, European and Anglo-Indian 2) special constituencies such as landholders, Universities, planters and trade associations (South India Chamber of Commerce & Nattukottai Nagarathar Association) and 3) territorial constituencies. 28 of the constituencies were reserved for non-[[Brahmin|Brahmans]]. 34 members were nominated, of whom a maximum of 19 would be government officials, 5 would represent women, 5 would represent the [[Paraiyar]], [[Pallar]], [[Valluvar]], [[Mala (caste)|Mala]], [[Madiga]], [[Sakkiliar]], Thottiyar, Cheruman and [[Chalavadi|Holeya]] communities and 1 would represent the "backward tracts". Including the Executive Council members, the total strength of the legislature was 134. The franchise was limited based on property qualifications.<ref name="Krishnaswamy">{{cite book | title=The role of Madras Legislature in the freedom struggle, 1861-1947| author=S. Krishnaswamy| year=1989| pages=126–131| publisher=People's Pub. House (New Delhi) }}</ref><ref name="act1919">{{cite book | title=The Govt of India ACT 1919 Rules Thereunder and Govt Reports 1920| first=H.N.|last=Mithra| year=2009| pages=186–199| publisher=BiblioBazaar|isbn=978-1-113-74177-6|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=aw5r4QyRijMC&pg=RA2-PA186}}</ref><ref>{{cite book|last=Hodges|first=Sarah|title=Contraception, colonialism and commerce: birth control in South India, 1920-1940|publisher=Ashgate Publishing|year=2008|pages=28–29|isbn=978-0-7546-3809-4|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=6H2NTD9g_rgC&pg=PA28}}</ref>

==Results==
The Justice party lost the election and the Swarajists emerged as the single largest party with 29 seats.{{citation needed|date=June 2019}}

==Government formation==
The Swarajists refused to assume power due to their opposition to dyarchy. The Raja of Bobbili retained power by forming a minority government. Justice Party leaders [[R. K. Shanmukham Chetty]] and [[Arcot Ramasamy Mudaliar]] had lost their seats as the chief whip of the party [[Rajah Muthiah Chettiar|M. A. Muthiah Chettiar]] withdrew his support for their candidature. Bobbili retaliated by dismissing him as the party whip. Chettiar responded by filing a no-confidence motion against the minority government. To appease him Bobbili replaced [[S. Kumaraswami Reddiar]] with Chettiar as the minister for Education. To appease other factions, he created a new ministry of home affairs and appointed [[Mohammad Usman of Madras|Mohammad Usman]] and later [[A. T. Pannirselvam]] as its ministers.<ref name="Manikumar2"/><ref name="rajaraman2"/><ref name="rudner">{{cite book | title=Caste and Capitalism in Colonial India: The Nattukottai Chettiars| first=David West|last=Rudner| year=1994| pages=ch.7| publisher=University of California Press|url=http://ark.cdlib.org/ark:/13030/ft88700868/}}</ref>

==See also==
*[[Raja of Bobbili]]

== References ==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
*[https://web.archive.org/web/20110728090720/http://www.thamizham.org/ebooks/10/989/TM989.pdf Pagutharivu magazine dated 18 November 1934; Contains editorials and analysis on the election defeat from the Justice camp]

{{Tamil Nadu assembly elections|state=expanded}}

{{#seo:
|keywords=Elections in Madras Presidency, 1934 elections in India, November 1934 events, Provincial Assembly elections in British India
|description=
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[[Category:Elections in Madras Presidency]]
[[Category:1934 elections in India]]
[[Category:November 1934 events]]
[[Category:Provincial Assembly elections in British India]]

1934 Madras Presidency Legislative Council election - Revision history

MetaBOT at 13:56, 8 July 2023