Andhra Pradesh Legislature
The Andhra Pradesh Legislature is the state legislature of Indian state of Andhra Pradesh. It follows a Westminster-derived parliamentary system and is composed of an appointed Governor, the indirectly-elected Legislative Council and the popularly-elected Legislative Assembly. The Legislature currently works at transit building located in the state capital Amaravati.
Andhra Pradesh Legislature | |
---|---|
Type | |
Type | |
Houses | Vidhan Parishad Vidhan Sabha |
Leadership | |
Governor | Biswabhusan Harichandan since 23 July 2019 |
M. A. Shareef, TDP | |
Reddy Subrahmanyam, TDP | |
Pilli Subhash Chandra Bose, YSRCP | |
Structure | |
Seats | 58 (Vidhan Parishad) 175 (Vidhan Sabha) |
Vidhan Parishad political groups | Government (11)
Opposition (29)
Others (18) |
Vidhan Sabha political groups | Government (151)
Opposition (23)
Others
|
Elections | |
Single transferable vote | |
First past the post | |
Vidhan Sabha last election | 11 April 2019 |
Meeting place | |
Assembly Building Amaravati, Andhra Pradesh, India | |
Website | |
www |
The legislature derives its authority from the Indian constitution, with sole authority to make laws on 61 subjects specified in the state list and shares law-making power in 52 concurrent subjects with the Parliament of India. The state uses first-past-the-post method territorial constituencies for electing members to the lower house. The members of the upper house are indirectly-elected by special constituencies or nominated by the governor.the governor is head of the state, so he can elect the leader of the legislature
History
Andhra Pradesh is the first linguistic state and once the fifth largest state in the Indian union, was formed on 1 November 1956 with the unification of Andhra State and the Telugu speaking areas of the erstwhile Hyderabad State. Consequent to the formation of State of Andhra Pradesh the 140 Members of Andhra State Legislative Assembly and 105 Members representing the Telugu speaking areas of Hyderabad State were merged resulting in the formation of Andhra Pradesh Legislative Assembly.
In 1956, the Andhra Pradesh Legislature was Unicameral with only a Legislative Assembly consisting 245 Members. The first meeting of the Andhra Pradesh Legislative Assembly was held on 3 December 1956. Sri Ayyadevara Kaleswara Rao and Sri Konda Lakshman Bapuji were elected as the first Speaker and the first Deputy Speaker respectively of the Andhra Pradesh Legislative Assembly.
In 1958, with the constitution of Legislative Council the unicameral Andhra Pradesh Legislature has become bicameral. Due to delimitation of constituencies several ups and downs have taken place in the number of elected Members of Legislative Assembly in Andhra Pradesh. In 1956 it was 245, in 1962 it was 300, in 1967 and 1972 it was 287 and from 1978 onwards it is 294. In 2014, the state was bifurcated into Andhra Pradesh and Telangana. Present Strength of the Andhra Pradesh Legislative Assembly was 175.
Sri B. V. Subba Reddy was the only Presiding Officer who has been elected twice as Speaker in 1962 and 1967 unanimously in the Third and Fourth Andhra Pradesh Legislative Assembly. The most significant feature of the Fourth Legislative Assembly is that it has the highest number of Independents in the House. Out of the 294 elected Members of the Legislative Assembly 68 Members were Independents. Sri P. Ranga Reddy, who has been elected as Speaker in 1972 by the Fifth Andhra Pradesh Legislative Assembly also served as the Chairman of the Andhra Pradesh Legislative Council from 1968 to 1972. He was the only person who has served as the Presiding Officer for both the Houses of Andhra Pradesh Legislature. He was also appointed as Pro-tem Speaker for the Eighth Andhra Pradesh Legislative Assembly in 1985.
In the history of Andhra Pradesh Legislature the Seventh Legislative Assembly was shortest Assembly in terms of its tenure. Another important feature of the Seventh Assembly was for the first a Confidence Motion was moved and carried in the House on 20 September 1984. The Eleventh Legislative Assembly which was constituted on 10 October 1999 has elected Smt. K. Prathibha Bharathi as Speaker, the first women Presiding Officer of the Andhra Pradesh Legislature.
Dr. A. P. J. Abdul Kalam, the President of India has addressed the Twelfth Legislative Assembly on 14 July 2004. It was the second time in the history of Andhra Pradesh Legislature that the First Citizen of India has addressed the Legislative Assembly. Previously, Dr. Neelam Sanjeeva Reddy addressed the Members of the Legislature on 28 June 1978.[1]
Structure and Lawmaking Process
According to the Indian Constitution, every state in India shall have a legislature consisting of the Governor and a legislative assembly. Further, the legislative assembly of the state can decide to create an upper house – the council or abolish the upper house at any point of time. This unique relation between the two houses was specified in the constitution to strike a balance between large and small states – with the former demanding for more political participation, while the latter citing financial constraints in maintaining two houses. Andhra Pradesh is one of the few states in India to have a bicameral legislature. The state established an upper house in 1957, abolished in 1985 and re-established it in 2007.[2]
The upper house cannot be dissolved and one third of its members retire every second year. The term of the legislative assembly is five years from the date appointed for its first meeting. The cabinet is collectively responsible to the lower house and is in power as long as it enjoys the confidence of the lower house. Ministers are generally members of the lower house, however, they can be a member of either house.[2]
A bill can originate in either house, though money bills can originate only in the lower house. The upper house can only suggest modifications to the bill which is passed by the assembly. If the assembly decides to ignore the changes made by the upper house in its second reading, the council has to accept the bill in original form passed by the assembly. The only power of the council, in ordinary or money bills is to introduce some delay into the legislative process. The bill is then sent to the Governor, who may sign the bill converting it into law or reject it.[2]
Membership and Elections
Of the total number of Members of the Legislative Council (58), 1/3 of Members are elected by electorates consisting of the Members of Local Authorities(20), 1/12 are elected by electorates consisting of graduates residing in the State(5), 1/12 are elected by electorates consisting of persons engaged in teaching(5), 1/3 are elected by the Members of Legislative Assembly (20) and the remaining are nominated by the Governor(8). The specified electorate is divided into territorial constituencies and members are elected on a first-past-the-post basis.[3]
The Legislative Assembly consists of 175 elected members and one member nominated by the Governor from among Anglo-Indian Community, under Article 333 of the Constitution of India. All persons residing in the state above the age of 18 are eligible to vote in the elections.[1]
Seat of the assembly
The assembly currently meets temporary facilities in the Velagapudi neighbourhood of the new capital city of Andhra Pradesh, Amaravati, having relocated there in March 2017.[4] The first session of the legislature at the new capital began on 6 March 2017.[5]
The assembly met at the State Assembly Building in Hyderabad till March 2017. This was built in 1913 and adjoins the picturesque public gardens known as the famous hanging gardens.
Membership
No | Party | MLA Seats | MLC Seats |
---|---|---|---|
1 | YSR Congress Party (YSRCP) | 151 | 9 |
2 | Telugu Desam Party (TDP) | 23 | 27 |
3 | Jana Sena Party (JSP) | 1 | 0 |
4 | Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) | 0 | 3 |
5 | Indian National Congress (INC) | 0 | 1 |
6 | Independents (IND) | 0 | 3 |
7 | Progressive Democratic Front (PDF) | 0 | 4 |
8 | Progressive Recognised Teachers Union (PRTU) | 0 | 1 |
9 | Nominated | 0 | 8 |
10 | Vacant | 0 | 1 |
– | Total | 175 | 58 |
Speakers
Andhra state (1953–1956)
- Sri Nallapati Venkataramaiah Chowdary, 23 November 1953 to 21 April 1956, Guntur district
- Sri R. Lakshminarasimham Dora. 23 April 1955 to 3 December 1956, Srikakulam district
Andhra Pradesh (1956–2014)
- Sri Ayyadevara Kaleswara Rao, 4 December 1956 to 26 February 1962, Krishna district
- Sri B. V. Subba Reddy, 20 March 1962 to 29 September 1971, Kurnool district
- Sri K. V. Vema Reddy, 25 November 1971 to 19 March 1972, Ananthapur district
- Sri Pidatala Ranga reddy, 21 March 1972 to 25 September 1974, Prakasam district
- Sri R. Dasaratha Rami Reddy, 28 January 1975 to 14 March 1978, Nellore district
- Divi Kondaiah Chowdary, 16 March 1978 to 16 October 1980, Prakasam district
- Sri Kona Prabhakara Rao, 24 February 1980 to 22 September 1981, Guntur district
- Sri Agarala Eswara Reddi, 7 September 1982 to 16 January 1983, Chittoor district
- Sri Tangi Satyanarayana, 18 January 1983 to 28 August 1984, Srikakulam district
- Sri Nissankarrao venkat ratnam, 20 September 1984 to 10 January 1985, Guntur district
- Sri G. Narayana Rao, 12 March 1985 to 27 October 1989, Karimnagar district
- Sri P. Ramachandra Reddy, 4 January 1990 to 22 December 1990, Medak district
- Sri D. Sripada Rao, 19 August 1991 to 11 January 1995, Karimnagar district
- Sri Yanamala Rama Krishnudu, 12 January 1995 to 10 October 1999, East Godavari district
- Smt K. Pratibha Bharati, 11 November 1999 to 30 May 2004, Srikakulam district
- Sri K R Suresh Reddy, 1 June 2004 to 3 June 2009, Nizamabad district
- Sri Nallari Kiran Kumar Reddy, 4 June 2009 to 24 November 2010, Chittoor district
- Sri Nadendla Manohar, 4 June 2011 to 18 June 2014, Guntur district
Andhra Pradesh (2014–2019)
Andhra Pradesh Legislative Assembly (Vidhan Sabha)
- Sri Kodela Siva Prasada Rao, 18 June 2014 to 30 May 2019, Guntur district
Andhra Pradesh Legislative Council (Vidhan Parishad)
- Sri N.M.D. Farook, 15.11.2017–, Kurnool district
Andhra Pradesh (2019–present)
Andhra Pradesh Legislative Assembly (Vidhan Sabha)
- Sri Tammineni Sita Ram, 08.06.2019–, Srikakulam district
Andhra Pradesh Legislative Council (Vidhan Parishad)
- Sri N.M.D. Farook, 15.11.2017–, Kurnool district
Legislative Assembly Constituencies
There are a total of 175 Assembly Constituencies, across 13 districts, in the state of Andhra Pradesh.
Andhra Pradesh Legislative Assembly terms
Following are the years of constitution and dissolution of the Andhra Pradesh Legislative Assembly.[7]
Assembly | Constitution | Dissolution | Comments |
---|---|---|---|
1st | 1953 | 1955 | 1st Andhra Legislative Assembly |
2nd | 3 March 1955 | 1 March 1962 | Legislative Council established |
3rd | 3 March 1962 | 28 February 1967 | |
4th | 1 March 1967 | 14 March 1972 | |
5th | 1972 | 1978 | |
6th | 1978 | 1983 | |
7th | 1983 | 1984 | |
8th | 1985 | 1989 | Legislative Council abolished |
9th | 1989 | 1994 | |
10th | 1994 | 1999 | |
11th | 1999 | 2003 | |
12th | 2004 | 2009 | Legislative Council re-established |
13th | 2009 | 2014 | |
14th | 2014 | 2019 | First assembly after bifurcation of the state |
15th | 2019 | 2024 | Second assembly after bifurcation of the state |
See also
References
- "Overview". www.aplegislature.org. Retrieved 17 October 2017.
- DD Basu. Introduction to the Constitution of India.
- "Andhra Pradesh State Legislative Council – Official AP State Government Portal | AP State Portal". www.ap.gov.in. Archived from the original on 7 October 2017. Retrieved 17 October 2017.
- http://telanganatoday.news/andhra-pradesh-assembly-to-commence-from-monday
- "Andhra Pradesh set to hold its first assembly from today". The Times of India. Retrieved 8 March 2017.
- "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 25 June 2014. Retrieved 21 June 2014.CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
- "Aeesmbly terms". A.P. Assembly website. Archived from the original on 1 August 2012. Retrieved 17 January 2014.