Rajasthan govt follows in WB's footsteps, approves proposal to create Legislative Council

In a key development on Wednesday, the Ashok Gehlot-led Rajasthan Cabinet unanimously approved a proposal to establish a Legislative Council in the state. Interestingly, the Rajasthan Assembly had passed a resolution to this effect on April 18, 2012, during Gehlot's previous term as the CM. Addressing the media, Rajasthan Congress chief and School Education Minister Govind Singh Dotasra explained the rationale for creating the Upper House in the state. 

The Rajasthan Congress president remarked, "The proposal of forming a Legislative Council was unanimously approved in the Cabinet meeting chaired by Ashok Gehlot. The Modi government was delaying this after which another letter was sent asking the Centre whether it agrees or not. This proposal has again been passed in the Cabinet today. We want that people should get a chance, party workers should get a chance."

"The Legislative Council should be formed as this decision was taken during the Ashok Gehlot-led Congress government but the Centre has been delaying it. I urge BJP leaders that please get this decision approved from the Centre where you have your government. This will pay the way for the creation of the Legislative Council in Rajasthan and give an opportunity to more persons to serve people," he added. 

The demand for Legislative Council 

At present, only Andhra Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Maharashtra, Karnataka, and Telangana have a Legislative Council. The Rajasthan government's move comes a day after the West Bengal Assembly cleared a resolution to form a Legislative Council with 195 members voting in favour of the same. BJP MLAs and ISF legislator Nawsad Siddiqui were among the 69 members who opposed the aforesaid resolution. Coming down heavily on the West Bengal government, BJP opined that the creation of a Legislative Council was a ploy to facilitate the backdoor entry of rejected TMC leaders.

This is significant in the context of WB CM Mamata Banerjee who lost to BJP's Suvendu Adhikari from Nandigram in the recently concluded Assembly polls. As a result, she needs to get elected as a member of the Legislature within a period of 6 months failing which she will have to resign. While Article 169 of the Constitution empowers a Legislative Assembly to pass a resolution to create or abolish a Legislative Council, it can materialise only if the Parliament passes a specific bill in this regard.