Legislative Council For West Bengal
Source : The Hindu
GS III : Parliament and State Legislatures – structure, functioning, conduct of business, powers & privileges and issues arising out of these

Why in News ?

West Bengal government has decided to set up a Legislative Council, or a Vidhan Parishad the Upper House of state legislature.

Key Facts

• West Bengal had a two-House or a bicameral system of legislature till it was abolished by the United Front government in 1969.
• Members of Legislative Council (Upper House) are either elected by Members of Legislative Assembly, members of local bodies or nominated by the Governor.
• Once the Council is set up, West Bengal will become the seventh Indian state to have a bicameral system of legislature.
• States having Bicameral System : Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Bihar, Uttar Pradesh, Maharashtra and Karnataka.
• Many other states like Assam, Rajasthan and Odisha have also been exploring such a possibility.
• Criticism against the creation
  • Once the council is set up, it would pave way for accommodating those who could not be get elected to Legislative Assembly or the leaders who were excluded from the party candidates list for the assembly elections.
  • CM Banerjee and Bengal’s Finance Minister Amit Mitra are currently not members of the Legislative Assembly and thus can be nominated to the Council once it is established.
  • In that case, the leaders will not be required to get elected to the Assembly.
  • A chief minister or a minister has to be member of either of the two Houses.

Legislative Council

• The size of the legislative council cannot be more than one-third of the membership of the state legislative assembly.
• So for the case o West Bengal there can be 98 Members of Legislative Council (MLCs) for the 294-member West Bengal Legislative Assembly members.
• An Member of Legislative Council has to be at least 30 years of age and is elected for six years.
• The Council has a chairman and a deputy chairman like the Rajya Sabha.
• Majority For Create and Abolish
  • As per the norm to create or to abolish a state legislative council the state Legislative Assembly must pass a resolution which must be supported by majority of the strength of the House.

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