16–20 March 1977 1980 → +25 -19 56.91% 37.84% | 34 5 10,164,615 6,758,517 | |
 | ||
The Indian general election, 1977 polls in Tamil Nadu were held for 39 seats in the state. The result was a big victory for Indian National Congress under Indira Gandhi and its allies Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam and Communist Party of India winning 34 seats, while Janata Party and its allies Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam and Indian National Congress (Organisation) won only 5 seats. The Janata Party ended up winning this election. After the election, the ADK ended up supporting the Janata Party under Morarji Desai. In 1979, ADK continued to support Janata Party, by supporting Charan Singh, which resulted in the appointment of two ADK cabinet members.
Post-election Union Council of Ministers from Tamil Nadu
While there were no members from Tamil Nadu in Morarji Desai's Administration, Charan Singh appointed two AIADMK members to his cabinet, making it the first time a non-Congress Dravidian Party member making it to the council of ministers at the national level.