Delhi Legislative Assembly

Legislative Assembly of Delhi (Vidhan Sabha of Delhi)
Type
Type	Unicameral
Term limits	5 years
Leadership
Speaker of the Assembly	Maninder Singh Dhir, (AAP)
Dy. Speaker	TBD
Leader of the House	Arvind Kejriwal, (AAP)
Leader of the Opposition	[1], (BJP)
Secretary	P.N. Mishra
Structure
Seats	70
Political groups	BJP(31) AAP(28) INC(8) SAD(1) JDU(1) Independent(1)
Length of term	5 years
Elections
Last election	4 December 2013
Meeting place
Old Secretariat , Delhi, India
Website
Legislative Assembly of Delhi

The Legislative Assembly of Delhi, also known as Vidhan Sabha,^[2] is a unicameral law making body of the National Capital Territory of Delhi, one of the 7 union territories in India. It is situated at Delhi, the state capital of Delhi, with 70 Members of the Legislative Assembly (MLA).

The seat of assembly is the Old Secretariat building, which is also the seat of the Delhi Government.

History

Delhi State Assembly was first constituted on 7 March 1952 under the Government of Part C States Act, 1951, it was inaugurated by then Home Minister K. N. Katju. The Assembly has 48 members, and a council of Minister in an advisory role to the Chief Commissioner of Delhi, though it also powers to make laws. The first Council of Ministers lead by Chaudhary Brahm Prakash, who became the first Chief Minister of Delhi.^[3][4]

However, States Reorganisation Commission set up in 1953, led to the Constitution amendment through States Reorganisation Act, 1956, which came into effect on 1 November, 1956. This meant that Delhi was no longer a Part-C State and was made a Union Territory under the direct administration of the President of India. Also the Delhi Legislative Assembly and the Council of Ministers were abolished simultaneously. Subsequently, the The Delhi Municipal Corporation Act,. 1957 was enacted which lead to the formation the Municipal Corporation with elected ^[3]

Then in September 1966, with "The Delhi Administration Act, 1966", the assembly was replaced by the Delhi Metropolitan Council with 56 elected and 5 nominated members with the Lt. Governor of Delhi as its head. The Council however had no legislative powers, only an advisory role in the governance of Delhi. This set up functioned till 1990.^[3][5]

This Council was finally replaced by the Delhi Legislative Assembly through the Constitution (Sixty-ninth Amendment) Act, 1991, followed by the Government of National Capital Territory of Delhi Act, 1991 the Sixty-ninth Amendment to the Constitution of India, which declared the Union Territory of Delhi to be formally known as National Capital Territory of Delhi also supplements the constitutional provisions relating to the Legislative Assembly and the Council of Ministers and related matters.^[6] The Legislative Assembly is selected for period of five years, and presently it is fifth assembly, which was selected through the Delhi state assembly elections, 2013.

Assembly building

Originally built 1912, designed by E. Montague Thomas to hold the Imperial Legislative Council and subsequently the Central Legislative Assembly (after 1919), till the newly constructed Parliament House of India in New Delhi (Sansad Bhawan)was inaugurated on 18 January 1927.^[3]

The building also housed in the Secretariat of the Government of India, and was built after the capital of India shifted to Delhi from Calcutta, the temporary secretariat building was constructed in a few months' time in 1912, it functioned as the Secretariat for another decade, before the offices shifted to the present Secretariat Building on Raisina Hill.^[7]

List of Assemblies

References

External links

• Official Site of Legislature in Delhi
• Legislative Bodies of India- Delhi