The 1980 Indian general election in Tamil Nadu saw elections for all 39 Lok Sabha seats in the state. The result was a landslide victory for the Indian National Congress (Indira) and its ally Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam, who won 37 out of 39 seats. Many observers considered it an upset defeat for the ruling state party, All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam, and its general secretary M. G. Ramachandran, which only won 2 seats—Gobichettipalayam and Sivakasi. Prior to the election, INC leader Indira Gandhi had formed an alliance with the DMK, resulting in an important part of her victory in the nationwide election that returned her to the office of Prime Minister of India.

Seat Allotment Congress Front colspan="6" DMK-led Alliance Party Flag Symbol Leader Seats Indira Gandhi 22 M. Karunanidhi 16 A. K. A. Abdul Samad 1 Total39

Janata Alliance colspan="6" AIADMK-led Alliance Party Flag Symbol Leader Seats M. G. Ramachandran 24 P. Ramachandran 9 A. Balasubramaniam 3 P. Manickam 3 Total39

List of Candidates ConstituencyDMK+AIADMK+ # Name Party Candidate Party Candidate1Madras North G. Lakshmanan M. S. Abdul Khader2Madras Central A. Kalanithi P. Ramachandran3Madras South R. Venkataraman E. V. K. F. Sulochana Sampath4Sriperumbudur (SC) T. Nagaratnam S. M. Jaganathan5Chengalpattu Era. Anbarasu R. M. Mohanarangam6Arakkonam A. M. Velu A. M. Ragunathan7Vellore A. K. A. Abdul Samad V. Dhandayuthapani8Tiruppattur S. Murugaiyan M. M. Pandurangan9Vandavasi D. Pattuswamy C. A. M. Venugopal Gounder 10 Tindivanam S. S. Ramasami Thirukkuralar Munusamy 11 Cuddalore R. Muthukumar Aravinda Bala Pajanor 12 Chidambaram (SC) V. Kulandaivelu S. Mahalingam 13 Dharmapuri K. Arjunan G. Bhuvarahan 14 Krishnagiri K. Ramamurthy V. M. Rajahagopal 15 Rasipuram (SC) B. Devarajan S. Anbalagan 16 Salem C. Palaniappan P. Kamnan 17 Tiruchengode M. Kandaswamy R. Kolanthaivelu 18 Nilgiris R. Prabhu T. T. S. Thippiah 19 Gobichettipalayam N. R. Thiruvankadam G. Chinnasamy 20 Coimbatore R. Ram Mohan Parvathi Krishnan 21 Pollachi (SC) C. T. Dhandapani M. A. M. Natarajan 22 Palani A. Senapathi Gounder P. S. K. Lakshmipathy 23 Dindigul Maya Thevar V. M. Rajan Chellappa24Madurai A. G. Subburaman A. M. Balasubramanyam25Periyakulam Cumbum Natarajan S. M. Ramasamy26Karur S. A. Dorai Sebastian K. M. Kanagaraj27Tiruchirappalli N. Selvaraj T. K. Rangarajan28Perambalur (SC) K. B. S. Mani S. M. Thangaraju29Mayiladuthurai Kudanthai N. Ramalingam S. M. Govindasamy30Nagapattinam (SC) Thazhai Karunanithi K. Murugaiyan31Thanjavur S. Singaravadivel K. M. Thangamuthu32Pudukottai V. N. Swamynathan M. Kuzha Chellaiya33Sivaganga R. V. Swaminathan D. Pandian34Ramanathapuram M. S. K. Sathyendran P. M. Anbalagan35Sivakasi V. Jayalakshmi N. Soundararajan36Tirunelveli D. S. A. Sivaprakasam V. M. Arunachalam37Tenkasi (SC) M. Arunachalam S. Rajagopalan38Tiruchendur K. T. Kosalram N. Soundarapandian39Nagercoil N. Dennis Pon. Vijayaraghavan

Voting and results

AlliancePartyPopular VotePercentageSwingSeats wonSeat ChangeDMK+Indian National Congress (Indira)5,821,41131.62%9.35%206Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam4,236,53723.01%4.40%1614Independent232,5671.26%1Total10,290,51555.89%15.01%3721AIADMK+All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam4,674,06425.38%4.66%215Janata Party1,465,7827.96%9.71%03Communist Party of India660,9403.59%1.01%03Communist Party of India (Marxist)591,8693.21%1.65%0Total7,392,65540.14%13.73%221Janata Party (Secular)98,7290.54%new party0new partyIndian National Congress (Urs)41,6710.23%new party0new partyRepublican Party of India9,4970.05%0.03%0Independents579,6773.15%2.07%0Total18,412,744100.00%39Valid Votes18,412,74498.11%Invalid Votes355,0741.89%Total Votes18,767,818100.00%Registered Voters/Turnout28,113,89366.76%0.37%

The All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam was part of an alliance with Indira Congress in 1977, while the DMK is in alliance with them for the 1980 election

List of Elected MPs Constituency Winner Runner Up Margin % # Name Candidate Party Votes % Candidate Party Votes %1Madras NorthG. LakshmananDMK297,26857.33M. S. M. Abdul KhaderADMK197,95038.1899,31819.152Madras CentralA. KalanithiDMK290,19959.54P. RamachandranJP185,15037.99105,04921.553Madras SouthRamaswamy VenkataramanINC(I)328,83660.34E. V. K. SampathADMK208,47438.25120,36222.094Sriperumbudur (SC)T. NagaratnamDMK253,91257.45S. JaganathanADMK171,13538.7282,77718.735ChengalpattuEra. AnbarasuINC(I)283,16359.86R. MohanarangamADMK173,14736.61110,01623.256ArakkonamA. M. VeluINC(I)278,51660.83A. M. RagunathanADMK161,15535.20117,36125.637VelloreA. K. A. Abdul SamadIND232,56755.11V. DhandayuthapaniJP153,02136.2679,54618.858TiruppatturS. MurugianDMK274,21662.84M. PanduranganADMK158,85536.40115,36126.449VandavasiD. PattuswamyINC(I)285,54962.36C. A. Venugopal GounderADMK158,39534.59127,15427.7710TindivanamS. S. Ramaswamy PadayatchiINC(I)290,06965.50V. Munuswamy ThirukkuralarADMK133,17130.07156,89835.4311CuddaloreR. MuthukumaranINC(I)262,69459.39Arvinda Bala PajanorADMK154,04334.83108,65124.5612Chidambaram (SC)V. KulandaiveluDMK302,52363.59S. MahalingamCPI(M)163,79834.43138,72529.1613DharmapuriK. ArjunanDMK209,60355.55G. BuvarahanJP142,73237.8366,87117.7214KrishnagiriK. RamamurthyINC(I)222,83963.03V. RajahagopalADMK122,32834.60100,51128.4315Rasipuram (SC)B. DevarajanINC(I)236,11254.58S. AnbalaganADMK176,24040.7459,87213.8416SalemC. PalaniappanDMK233,97150.85P. KamnanADMK207,71345.1426,2585.7117TiruchengodeM. KandaswamyDMK276,01551.51R. KolanthaiveluADMK254,79747.5521,2183.9618NilgirisR. PrabhuINC(I)273,61457.18T. T. S. ThippiahJP187,87139.2685,74317.9219GobichettipalayamG. ChinnasamyADMK210,80849.90N. R. ThiruvankadamINC(I)196,93346.6213,8753.2820CoimbatoreRam Era MohanDMK276,97554.29Parvathi KrishnanCPI220,86643.2956,10911.0021Pollachi (SC)C. T. DhandapaniDMK233,26151.41M. A. M. NatarajanADMK217,52647.9415,7353.4722PalaniA. Sanapathi GoundarINC(I)230,73353.41P. S. K. LakshimipathyrajuJP171,16539.6259,56813.7923DindigulK. Maya ThevarDMK244,66951.78V. Rajan ChellappaADMK217,92346.1226,7465.6624MaduraiA. G. SubburamanINC(I)292,38055.57A. BalassubramanyamCPI(M)223,18542.4269,19513.1525PeriyakulamN. Natarajan CumbumDMK255,20451.30S. RamasamyADMK235,32247.3019,8824.0026KarurS. A. Dorai SebastianINC(I)281,14955.48K. KanagarajADMK207,01540.8574,13414.6327TiruchirappalliN. SelvarajuDMK278,48554.32T. K. RangarajanCPI(M)204,88639.9673,59914.3628Perambalur (SC)K. B. S. ManiINC(I)282,76758.89S. ThangarajuADMK183,59538.2499,17220.6529MayiladuthuraiN. Kudanthai RamalingamINC(I)291,62557.20S. GovindasamyJP199,62039.1692,00518.0430Nagapattinam (SC)Karunanithi-ThazhaiDMK278,56150.98K. MurugayanCPI267,88749.0210,6741.9631ThanjavurS. SingaravadivelINC(I)268,38252.94K. ThangamuthuADMK223,84344.1544,5398.7932PudukkottaiV. N. SwamynathanINC(I)294,49449.92Kuzha ChellaiyaADMK278,39547.1916,0992.7333SivagangaR. V. SwaminathanINC(I)306,74860.81D. PandianCPI172,18734.14134,56126.6734RamanathapuramM. S. K. SathiyendranDMK275,04956.66P. AnbalaganADMK190,91639.3384,13317.3335SivakasiN. SourdararajanADMK234,65446.07V. JayalakshmiINC(I)228,04244.776,6121.3036TirunelveliD. S. A. SivaprakasamDMK256,62654.89V. ArunachalamADMK196,66442.0659,96212.8337Tenkasi (SC)M. ArunachalamINC(I)272,26062.42S. RajagopalanJP163,94437.58108,31624.8438TiruchendurK. T. KosalramINC(I)227,39551.78N. Sounthara PandianJP113,57625.86113,81925.9239NagercoilN. DennisINC(I)187,11151.32P. VijayaraghavanJP148,70340.7838,40810.54

Post-election Union Council of Ministers from Tamil Nadu #NameConstituencyDesignationDepartmentFromToParty1R. VenkataramanMadras SouthCabinet MinisterFinance14 Jan198015 Jan1982Industry16 Jan19803 Apr1980Defence15 Jan19822 Aug1984Home Affairs22 June19822 Sept19822R. V. SwaminathanSivagangaMoSAgriculture14 Jan198029 Jan1983Rural Reconstruction24 Nov198029 Jan1983

See also Elections in Tamil Nadu

Bypolls (1980-1984) DistrictConstituencyWinnerRunner upMargin No. Name Candidate Party Votes % Candidate Party Votes %TheniPeriyakulamS. T. K. Jakkaiyan252,37750.1% N. Eramakrishnan183,11736.4% 69,260Bypoll held on 1982 following the death of the incumbent member Cumbum N. Natarajan from Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam on 1982.

Notes

References

Bibliography Volume I, 1980 Indian general election, 7th Lok Sabha

External links Website of Election Commission of India CNN-IBN Lok Sabha Election History