Andhra Pradesh Legislative Council
The Andhra Pradesh Vidhan Parishad (Andhra Pradesh Legislative Council) is the upper house of the legislature of the Indian state of Andhra Pradesh; the lower house being the Andhra Pradesh Vidhan Sabha. It is situated in the state capital of Hyderabad, and is constituted of 90 members. The Vidhan Parishad has been in existence in two spells - from 1958 to 1985, and from 2007 till today.
Contents |
History [edit]
In the first years since its creation in post-independence India, the state of Andhra Pradesh worked under a unicameral parliamentary system. On December 5, 1956 the Andhra Pradesh Vidhan Sabha passed a resolution calling for the creation of an upper house, the Vidhan Parishad, to transition to a bicameral system.[1] The Vidhan Parishad was formed officially on July 1, 1958 under article 168 of the Constitution of India. The first President of India, Dr. Rajendra Prasad inaugurated the Vidhan Parishad on July 8.[1]
Abolition [edit]
In the 1980s, Andhra Pradesh became one of the first states to seek the abolition of the upper houses, which were being increasingly criticised as being unnecessary, unrepresentative of the population, a burden on the state budget and causing delays in passing legislation.[1][2][3][4] However, the move was criticised as an attempt by the then-ruling party, the Telegu Desam Party (TDP), to deny their main political opposition, the Indian National Congress (then Congress (I)) of influence in the state government and the control of the upper house, which could delay TDP-sponsored legislation and where the TDP held no seats.[4] In accordance with a resolution passed by the Andhra Pradesh Vidhan Sabha, the Indian Parliament abolished the Vidhan Parishad through the Andhra Pradesh Legislative Council (Abolition) Act in 1985, after the Congress (I) suffered a major defeat in the state elections in Andhra Pradesh.[1][4]
Revival [edit]
Subsequent attempts were made to revive the Legislative Council under Chief Minister Dr. Marri Chenna Reddy, who belonged to the Congress (I), which had won the state elections in 1989.[1][4] A resolution to revive the Legislative Council was passed in the Vidhan Sabha on January 22, 1990.[1] The Rajya Sabha, the upper house of the Indian Parliament, passed legislation authorising the revival of the Legislative Council as per the resolution of the state Vidhan Sabha on May 28, 1990, but the legislation stalled in the lower house, the Lok Sabha, primarily due to its dissolution in 1991 before the completion of its five-year term.[1] The subsequent Lok Sabhas (1991–1996, 1996–1998, 1998–2004) did not take any further action.
After its victory in the 2004 state elections, the Congress-led Andhra Pradesh Legislative Assembly passed another resolution on July 8, 2004 calling for the revival of the Legislative Council.[1] This time it was introduced in the Lok Sabha as the Andhra Pradesh Council Bill on December 16, 2004. On December 15, 2006 the Lok Sabha passed the legislation, which was quickly passed by the Rajya Sabha on December 20, and received the assent of the President on January 10, 2007.[1] The newly revived Legislative Council was constituted on March 30, 2007 and inaugurated on April 2 by Rameshwar Thakur, the Governor of Andhra Pradesh.[1]
Membership and tenure [edit]
The Legislative Council is a permanent house, not subject to dissolution.[1] Its 90 members serve six-year terms, and every two years, one-third of the total number of members "retire" in rotation, and undergo the re-election process.[1] To become a member, the individual must be a citizen of India and at least 30 years of age. 12 members of the Council are nominated by the Governor of Andhra Pradesh. 62 members are elected by an electoral college of the Legislative Assembly and local governing bodies. The 16 remaining members would be elected from constituences of college graduates and teachers.[5]
Functions [edit]
The Legislative Council is charged with fewer functions compared to the lower house. Although all legislation passed by the lower house must be similarly passed by the Council, it plays a largely advisory role.[1]
Office bearers [edit]
The Chairperson, elected by the Council, presides over the sessions of the Council.[1] A Deputy Chairperson is also elected to preside in the Chairperson's absence. The current officials are:[6]
- Chairperson: Dr. A. Chakrapani
- Deputy Chairperson: Neti.Vidyasagar
- Leader of the House: C.Ramachandraiah
- Leader of the Opposition: Dadi Veerabhadra Rao
- Secretary: Dr.S.Raja Sada Ram.
References [edit]
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n "Andhra Pradesh Legislative Council History". National Informatics Centre. Retrieved 2010-09-03.
- ^ Sharma. Introduction to the Constitution of India, Fifth Edition. PHI Learning Pvt. Ltd. pp. 212–13. ISBN 978-81-203-3674-2.
- ^ Laxmikanth. Indian Polity For UPSC 3E. Tata McGraw-Hill. pp. 27–1. ISBN 978-0-07-015316-5.
- ^ a b c d Agarala Easwara Reddy (1994). State politics in India: reflections on Andhra Pradesh. M.D. Publications Pvt. Ltd. pp. 97–110. ISBN 978-81-85880-51-8.
- ^ TMH General Knowledge Manual. Tata McGraw. 2007. p. 176. ISBN 978-0-07-061999-9.
- ^ a b "Andhra Pradesh Legislative Council". National Informatics Centre. Retrieved 2010-09-03.
