What is the State Legislative Assembly in India? 

India’s legislative power is divided between the central or Union government and the State governments. The State legislatures have an important part in making laws for their respective States and Union Territories. The State Legislative Assembly is also known as Vidhan Sabha or Saasana Sabha. Moreover, it is the lower house and in some special cases the sole house in some States of the State legislature. Additionally, it is the sole legislative body in 22 States and 3 Union Territories of India. Furthermore, Members of the Legislative Assembly (MLAs) are directly elected by the people of their constituencies. Read on to learn more in detail about the State Legislative Assembly in India, State Legislature in India and how many State Legislative Assemblies are there in India!

What is State Legislature in India? 

Additionally, there are 2 types of State legislatures in India:

• Unicameral Legislature: It is the most common type and is found in 22 States and 3 Union Territories. Moreover, it has only one house, the State Legislative Assembly. 

• Bicameral Legislature: 6 states which are Andhra Pradesh, Bihar, Karnataka, Maharashtra, Telangana, and Uttar Pradesh have a Bicameral legislature with 2 houses:
  • The State Legislative Assembly which is the lower house
  • The State Legislative Council which is the upper house

Also Read: Ordinance Making Power of President and Governor in India

What is the Function of State Legislative Assemblies?

Furthermore, State Legislative Assemblies have a wide range of functions which include:

• Lawmaking: They pass laws on a variety of subjects listed in the State List of the Indian Constitution, such as education, public health, agriculture, and police.

• Budget Approval: They approve the State budget hence authorising government spending for different programs and initiatives.

• Holding the Government Accountable: In addition, they can question the government on its policies and performance. Moreover, they can even pass a No-Confidence Motion to remove the Chief Minister and their Council of Ministers.

• Electing the Head of State: MLAs play a role in electing the President of India.

Also Read: What is the 7th Schedule of the Indian Constitution?

How many State Legislative Assembly in India?

There are 28 State Legislative Assemblies in India, one for each State and 3 Union Territories. Moreover, the number of MLAs in each Assembly depends on the State’s population, but it cannot exceed 500 or fall below 60. However, there are a few exceptions as is in the case of Sikkim, Mizoram, Goa and Puducherry. 

31 State Legislative Assemblies in India
State Legislature	House Strength
Andhra Pradesh	175
Arunachal Pradesh	60
Assam	126
Bihar	243
Chhattisgarh	90
Delhi	70
Goa	40
Gujarat	182
Haryana	90
Himachal Pradesh	68
Jammu and Kashmir	90
Jharkhand	81
Karnataka	224
Kerela	140
Madhya Pradesh	230
Maharashtra	288
Manipur	60
Meghalaya	60
Mizoram	40
Nagaland	60
Odisha	147
Puducherry	30
Punjab	117
Rajasthan	200
Sikkim	32
Tamil Nadu	234
Telangana	119
Tripura	60
Uttar Pradesh	403
Uttarakhand	70
West Bengal	294

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