20 mei List of State Legislative Councils of India- Know which states have the Vidhan Parishad here

One of the arguments used to sell the idea at the time to Nebraska voters was that by adopting a unicameral system, the perceived evils of the “conference committee” process would be eliminated. The passage of these motions, bills or amendments to government motions or bills requires double majority in both groups simultaneously. The best known example is the British House of Lords, which includes a number of hereditary peers. The House of Lords is a vestige of the aristocratic system that once predominated in British politics, while the other house, the House of Commons, is entirely elected. Over the years, some have proposed reforms to the House of Lords, some of which have been at least partly successful.

The strength of each Vidhan Sabha varies according to the state’s population, with the Constitution specifying that no assembly should have fewer than 60 members or more than 500 members. However, some smaller states like Sikkim, Mizoram, and Goa have assemblies with fewer than 60 members due to their unique circumstances. While not all Indian states have a Legislative Council, those that do follow a bicameral system, include both the State Legislative Assembly (Vidhan Sabha) and the State Legislative Council. Bicameralism in the states is seen as a way to provide broader representation and allow for more detailed scrutiny of legislative matters.

• To balance the interests of both the small and large states, the Framers of the Constitution divided the power of Congress between the two houses.
• The State Legislative Council, also known as the Vidhan Parishad, is the upper house in the bicameral legislature of some states in India.
• Five union territories are governed directly by the union government and have no legislative body.
• In six states, the legislative assembly is the lower house of their bicameral legislature with the upper house being the State Legislative Council.

The House of Peoples has 58 members, 17 delegates from among each of the constituent peoples of the Federation, and 7 delegates from among the other peoples. Republika Srpska, the other entity, has a unicameral parliament, known as the National Assembly, but there is also a Council of Peoples who is de facto the other legislative house. When the Australian states were founded as British colonies in the 19th century, they each had a bicameral Parliament. In Queensland, the appointed upper house was abolished in 1922, while in New South Wales there were similar attempts at abolition, before the upper house was reformed in the 1970s to provide for direct election. There is also bicameralism in countries that are not federations, but have upper houses with representation on a territorial basis.

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But some of the powers it has is that the chairman and Deputy Chairman of the State Legislative Council enjoy the same status of Cabinet Ministers in the state. These are Andhra Pradesh, Bihar, Karnataka, Maharashtra, Telangana, and Uttar Pradesh. They also have their own committees on estimates and public accounts to ensure that grants sanctioned by the legislature are properly utilized. The Legislative Council of a state comprises not more than one-third of the total number of members in the legislative assembly of the state and in no case fewer than 40 members.

How many states in India have Bicameral legislature?

Members elected to the legislative council are called Members of the Legislative Council (MLC) whose term of office is of six years. State legislative council is a permanent body and one-third of its members retire every two years, as provided under Article 172(2) of the Constitution of India (1950). The Chairman of the legislative council is vested with the power to punish any member of the legislative council for contempt or misbehaviour during sessions. After the division of Andhra Pradesh into two different states- Andhra Pradesh and Telangana, both the states reformed their legislative councils as they opted for bicameralism. The Telangana Legislative Council was then established in 2014 and currently has 40 members which is the minimum limit of members in a state legislative council. After independence and post abolition of Bombay Legislative Council, the province of Bombay was disintegrated and two separate states were formed – Gujarat and Maharashtra.

Unicameral legislatures can represent both stratified and federal societies. Although it looks like federalism is the only rationale for an upper chamber’s veto power at the moment, federalism was originally constituted through unicameral legislatures with a qualified majority or unanimity as the decision-making rule. These six states are, in order, i) Uttar Pradesh, ii) Bihar, iii) Maharashtra, iv) Telangana, v) Karnataka, and vi) Andhra Pradesh. Only two of the seven Union territories have their legislature, and they elect a chief minister to run their local government.

Federal states have often adopted it as an awkward compromise between existing power held equally by each state or territory and a more democratic proportional legislature. For states considering a different constitutional arrangement that may shift power to new groupings, bicameralism could be demanded by currently hegemonic groups who would otherwise prevent any structural shift (e.g. military dictatorships, aristocracies). In the 20th century most countries in Europe and the Commonwealth abolished the monarchy, and the upper house. Often a largely ceremonial head of state who formally opens and closes parliament was introduced, a larger house representing the population, and a smaller house mostly representing the regions was established.

Whereas, a legislative assembly is not a permanent body and it can be dissolved, same as the Lok Sabha at centre. States where a legislative council is already present, can be abolished if deemed fit and proper, by a similar manner of voting and special majority. A resolution for abolition is presented to the legislative assembly of the state, as per provisions of Article 168 of the Indian Constitution. A state legislative council is a continuing chamber, meaning, it is a permanent body and hence, cannot be dissolved.

How many states India have?

Although the state’s legislative assembly has passed a resolution for abolition yet again in October 2021, the same has not yet been assented or approved. Three organs or ‘pillars’ of government, namely, the legislature, the executive and the judiciary help in the functioning of various administrative duties. It is pertinent to note that the media, which is considered as the fourth pillar of democracy in India, has gained recognition among lawmakers and policymakers in the country. All these pillars work on the basis of independence, natural justice and separation of powers, yet are united with the common goal of upholding democracy. A referendum on introducing a unicameral Parliament instead of the current bicameral Parliament was held in Romania on 22 November 2009.

• Bicameral legislature is a legislative system having two-tier of Assemblies, Chambers or Houses.
• Know more about Parliament and State legislatures – structure, functioning, conduct of business, powers & privileges and issues arising out of these.
• A bicameral legislature consists of two houses or chambers, each with distinct roles and powers.
• This arrangement parallels that for the Rajya Sabha, the upper house of the Parliament of India.
• The Regulating Act (1773) governed administration and it made provisions for appointing a the Governor-General and his council (Governor General’s Council).
• For states considering a different constitutional arrangement that may shift power to new groupings, bicameralism could be demanded by currently hegemonic groups who would otherwise prevent any structural shift (e.g. military dictatorships, aristocracies).

But it was events in the second chamber two years prior that led to its abolition. The fourth general elections held in 1967 led to the Congress losing power in multiple states. In West Bengal, the United Front, a coalition of 14 parties, formed the government with Congress in the Opposition. Chief Minister Ajoy Kumar Mukherjee led the government with Jyoti Basu as the Deputy CM. But the coalition did not last long, and Governor Dharam Vira dismissed the government after eight months.

How many states are unicameral in India?

In exact synchronisation with central parliamentry system, Vidhan Parishad or Legislative council is called the upper house while Vidhan Sabha or Legislative Assembly is called lower house. The members of Vidhan parishad are nominated while members of Vidhan Sabha are elected by common public in state elections. At the State level, the equivalent of the Lok Sabha is the Vidhan Sabha (Legislative Assembly), and that of the Rajya Sabha is the Vidhan Parishad (Legislative Council). A so-called Upper House is considered important in the parliamentary system, as only a third of the seats are filled every two years and it therefore acts as a check against potential impetuousness of electoral majorities in the Lower House. With members mostly indirectly elected, the Upper House also ensures that individuals who might not be cut out for the rough-and-tumble of direct elections too are able to contribute to the legislative process.

The Governor also has the power to promulgate ordinances when the legislature is not in session, though these require legislative approval within six weeks of reassembly. The parliament has the power to set up or abolish Vidhan Parishad in a state. Both houses keep a check on each other’s working and prevent arbitrary administrations and abuse of powers.

In the 22 states and 3 union territories with a unicameral state legislature, it is the sole legislative body and in 6 states it is the lower house of their bicameral state legislatures with the upper house being State Legislative Council. In the 49 U.S. states with bicameral legislatures, the two houses have equal legislative authority, but the so-called upper houses—usually called senates—have the special function of confirming the governors’ appointments. In 1958, when the State Legislative Council was formed, it became bicameral until 1 June 1985 when it was abolished. This continued until March 2007 when the State Legislative Council was reestablished and elections were held for its seats. In Tamil Nadu, a resolution was passed on 14 May 1986 and the state’s Legislative Council was dissolved on 1 November 1986.

In Sikkim, the Governor has been given special responsibility for peace and social and economic advancement of different sections of population. There are, overall, 4,121 legislative assembly seats in states and Union territories of India. Andhra Pradesh abolished its Legislative Council in 1984, but set up a new Legislative Council following elections in 2007. State legislature has exclusive powers over subjects enumerated in the State List (List II of the Seventh Schedule) of how many states have bicameral legislature the Constitution and concurrent powers over those enumerated in sub List III.

State legislative councils of India

Know more about Parliament and State legislatures – structure, functioning, conduct of business, powers & privileges and issues arising out of these. The opposition party was highly critical of this motion and has been opposing the formation ever since. Time will tell whether or not the Mamata Banerjee led government will be able to switch from unicameralism to bicameralism.

A state legislature that has one house, known as Vidhan Sabha or Legislative assembly, is a unicameral legislature. The Sarkaria Commission was set up to review the balance of power between states and the union. The central government can dissolve a state government in favour of President’s rule if necessary. Here, we are giving a list of Indian States that have a Unicameral Legislature for general awareness. The State Legislative Council, also known as the Vidhan Parishad, is the upper house in the bicameral legislature of some states in India.