In which year was the regional political party All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK) founded in the politics of Tamil Nadu?

Introduction / Context:
Regional political parties play a major role in the federal political system of India, especially in States like Tamil Nadu where Dravidian parties have dominated politics for decades. All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK) is one of the most prominent such parties. Knowing when important regional parties were founded can help you understand the evolution of party systems and is a common topic in general knowledge exams.

Given Data / Assumptions:
- The question refers to the founding year of AIADMK.- The options given are 1949, 1999, 1972 and 1997.- We assume basic familiarity with Dravidian politics in Tamil Nadu.

Concept / Approach:
AIADMK was formed as a breakaway faction from the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK). The key leader associated with its foundation was M G Ramachandran (MGR), a popular film star and politician. The party was founded in the early 1970s. The year 1949 is associated with the founding of the DMK, not AIADMK. The dates in the late 1990s refer to other political events, not to the creation of AIADMK.

Step-by-Step Solution:
Step 1: Remember that DMK was founded earlier, in 1949, under leaders like C N Annadurai, which rules out 1949 as the founding year of AIADMK.Step 2: AIADMK emerged later when M G Ramachandran split from DMK, which is historically recorded as happening in 1972.Step 3: The late 1990s, including 1997 and 1999, are too recent and correspond more to later phases of coalition politics at the national level, not to the birth of AIADMK.Step 4: Thus, among the given options, 1972 matches the known founding year of AIADMK.

Verification / Alternative check:
To verify, you can recall that AIADMK was already a major force by the time of elections in the 1980s and 1990s, which would not be possible if it had been founded as late as 1997 or 1999. At the same time, it could not have been formed before DMK, which was founded in 1949. This reasoning leads naturally to 1972 as the correct year.

Why Other Options Are Wrong:
Option A (1949) is wrong because it is the founding year of DMK, not AIADMK.Option B (1999) is wrong as AIADMK was already well established and had governed Tamil Nadu before this date.Option D (1997) is wrong for the same reason; the party had long been active in State politics by the late 1990s.

Common Pitfalls:
Examinees sometimes confuse the founding years of DMK and AIADMK or assume that both were created around the time of independence. Another mistake is to be tempted by more recent dates because of their familiarity. A simple way to avoid this is to pair DMK with 1949 and AIADMK with 1972 when revising Dravidian party history.

Final Answer:
Correct answer: 1972