The Tamil Nadu Legislative Assembly has 234 elected members and meets in the Secretariat building at Fort St George in Chennai. The 17th Assembly, elected in April 2026, has sat three times so far: a short opening sitting in May, a session in June that began with the Governor’s address, and a budget session from August into September. The Speaker is J.C.D. Prabhakar of the TVK, MLA for Thousand Lights, and the Deputy Speaker is M. Ravisankar, also of the TVK.
For a Chennai resident, the Assembly matters in two ways. It passes the laws and budget that decide what the state spends on the city’s water, transport, schools and hospitals. And your MLA can raise your locality’s problems on the floor of the House. The 16 MLAs from Chennai district include the Chief Minister, the Speaker and the Leader of the Opposition.
Who does what in the House
| Role | Holder (October 2026) |
|---|---|
| Speaker | J.C.D. Prabhakar (TVK, Thousand Lights) |
| Deputy Speaker | M. Ravisankar (TVK, Thoraiyur) |
| Leader of the Opposition | Udhayanidhi Stalin (DMK, Chepauk-Thiruvallikeni) |
The Speaker and Deputy Speaker were elected on 12 May 2026, All India Radio News reported. The Speaker runs the sittings, decides who speaks and chairs the Business Advisory Committee, which fixes how long each session lasts. Members serve five-year terms unless the House is dissolved earlier. The Leader of the House, a minister, manages government business on the floor; check the Assembly website for the current holder. The Speaker also decides on questions of procedure, and the House can only be adjourned on the Speaker’s ruling.
How a year of sittings works
The Assembly does not sit all year. It meets in sessions called by the Governor on the government’s advice. A typical year has these parts:
- Governor’s address: The first session of a new Assembly, and normally the first of each year, opens with the Governor setting out the government’s plans. MLAs then debate a motion of thanks.
- Budget: The Finance Minister presents the budget. A general debate follows, and then each department’s spending, called the demand for grants, is debated and voted on.
- Bills: New laws are introduced, debated and passed, then sent to the Governor for assent.
- Question Hour: MLAs ask ministers questions, and ministers must answer on the record.
The 2026 sessions so far
- 11 to 13 May: Pro-tem Speaker M.V. Karuppaiah swore in the new MLAs, according to All India Radio News. The Speaker was elected and the government faced its confidence vote.
- 18 to 23 June: Governor Rajendra Vishwanath Arlekar delivered the customary address on 18 June. The Business Advisory Committee set the session to end on 23 June, UNI reported.
- August and September: Finance Minister N. Marie Wilson presented the revised 2026-27 budget on 5 August. Department demands were debated into September. On 7 September, the Chief Minister replied to the debate on the Home department’s demands, UNI reported.
The Assembly’s strength changed slightly after the election. Vijay won two seats and gave up Tiruchirappalli (East). Several other MLAs have since resigned their seats. By-elections were held in Madurantakam and Dharapuram on 6 October. Polls for five other vacant seats were on hold under a Madras High Court order while election petitions are pending, UNI reported in September. No date for the next session had been announced when this article was checked.
How to follow the proceedings
- The Assembly website: assembly.tn.gov.in carries member lists, session notices and other official papers.
- Debate records: The Assembly maintains a digital archive of its debates, which is linked from its website.
- News coverage: All India Radio, Doordarshan and newspapers report major debates and announcements each sitting day.
- RTI: The Assembly Secretariat has its own RTI fee rules, with a ₹10 application fee and ₹2 per page for copies, according to the Tamil Nadu Information Commission’s fee summary. You can use them to ask for records that are not published.
Visitors’ passes to the public gallery are usually arranged through an MLA’s office or the Assembly Secretariat. Ask your MLA’s office about the current procedure before you go.
Raising an issue through the Assembly
The most direct route is your own MLA. MLAs can raise local matters during Question Hour, during the debate on the relevant department’s demands, or through special notices that draw a minister’s attention to an urgent issue. When you write to your MLA, give the street, ward and the department involved, along with any complaint numbers. That makes it easier to raise the issue in a question.
Like other Indian legislatures, the Assembly has a committee system that includes a committee to examine petitions. For the current rules on what a petition must contain and who must countersign it, check the Assembly website or ask the Assembly Secretariat.
Quick answers
Where does the Tamil Nadu Assembly meet?
In the Secretariat building at Fort St George, Chennai.
Who is the Speaker of the Tamil Nadu Assembly?
J.C.D. Prabhakar (TVK), elected on 12 May 2026.
Who is the Leader of the Opposition?
Udhayanidhi Stalin of the DMK, MLA for Chepauk-Thiruvallikeni.
Information checked against official sources on 18 October 2026. Fees, dates and rules can change; confirm on the linked official pages before acting.
Sources
- First session of newly elected Tamil Nadu Assembly begins today (All India Radio News)
- TVK legislator JCD Prabhakar elected as Tamil Nadu Assembly Speaker (All India Radio News)
- RTI fees summary (Tamil Nadu State Information Commission)
- First TN Assembly session to continue till June 23 (UNI)
- Assembly: Vijay on schemes (UNI)
- Madras HC extends stay barring ECI from holding bypolls for 5 TN seats (UNI)
