Gujarat Legislative Assembly

Gujarat Legislative Assembly
Name	Gujarat Legislative Assembly
Native name	ગુજરાત વિધાનસભા
Legislature	15th Gujarat Assembly
House type	Unicameral
Established	1960
Preceeded by	Bombay Legislative Assembly
Term length	5 years
Members	182
Leader1 type	Speaker
Leader1	Shankar Singh Vaghela
Leader2 type	Chief Minister
Leader2	Bhupendrabhai Patel
Meeting place	Vidhana Sabha Bhavan, Gandhinagar

Gujarat Legislative Assembly is the unicameral legislature of the Indian state of Gujarat, constituted in 1960 when the state was formed out of the Bombay State. It convenes at the Vidhana Sabha Bhavan, Gandhinagar and sits for a maximum term of five years unless dissolved earlier, with members elected from single-member constituencies across Gujarat, including seats reserved for Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes. The Assembly has been a central forum in debates involving leaders and parties such as Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel, Morarji Desai, Shankersinh Vaghela, Narendra Modi, Amit Shah, Bharatiya Janata Party, and the Indian National Congress.

History

The Assembly's origins trace to the reorganisation that split Bombay State into Gujarat and Maharashtra following the Mahagujarat Movement and the recommendations of the States Reorganisation Commission. The first Gujarat Assembly elections were held in 1962, producing governments under leaders such as Jivraj Narayan Mehta and Hitendra Desai. Major political episodes affecting the Assembly include the 1960s linguistic mobilisations linked to the Mahagujarat Movement, the 1970s national events around the Emergency, the 1990s rise of the Bharatiya Janata Party in Gujarat politics, and the 2002 Assembly session period marked by debates following the 2002 Gujarat riots. Legislative milestones intersected with policies from figures like Mamata Banerjee (national comparisons), electoral trends influenced by the Delimitation Commission of India reports, and judicial interactions with the Supreme Court of India.

Composition and membership

The Assembly comprises 182 elected members representing territorial constituencies delineated by the Delimitation Commission of India. Seats are reserved under constitutional provisions for Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes as specified in the Constitution of India. Party representation has oscillated between the Bharatiya Janata Party majority periods and Indian National Congress opposition strength, with other parties such as the Janata Dal (United), Aam Aadmi Party, and regional groups occasionally winning seats. Prominent legislators who have served include Morarji Desai, Chimanbhai Patel, Keshubhai Patel, Narendra Modi (as Chief Minister), and more recently leaders like Vijay Rupani and Bhupendrabhai Patel.

Powers and functions

The Assembly exercises legislative authority under entries in the State List and concurrent powers under the Concurrent List of the Constitution of India. It enacts laws on subjects such as those covered under state jurisdiction, approves annual budgets presented by the Chief Minister and State Finance Minister, and holds the executive accountable through instruments like the motion of no confidence and question hour influenced by procedures from the Parliament of India. The Assembly's legislative output has been subject to judicial review by the Gujarat High Court and the Supreme Court of India on constitutional grounds, including cases involving state statutes and administrative acts.

Electoral system and terms

Members are elected using the first-past-the-post voting system from single-member constituencies established by the Delimitation Commission of India. General elections are typically synchronised with the five-year term limit set by the Constitution of India, though the Assembly may be dissolved earlier by the Governor of Gujarat on the advice of the Chief Minister and Council of Ministers, a practice framed by precedents from decisions such as those involving the Sarkaria Commission principles and judgments by the Supreme Court of India. By-elections are held to fill vacancies caused by resignation, death, or disqualification, with electoral contests involving parties like the Bharatiya Janata Party, Indian National Congress, and newer entrants like the Aam Aadmi Party.

Committees and procedures

The Assembly operates a range of statutory and select committees similar to practices in the Parliament of India, including the Public Accounts Committee, Estimates Committee, and Committee on Public Undertakings, constituted under rules derived from the Assembly's rules of procedure influenced by models from the Constituent Assembly of India and parliamentary conventions. Routine proceedings include question hour, zero hour, motions, adjournment motions, and budget discussions; presiding officers like the Speaker of the Gujarat Legislative Assembly and the Deputy Speaker of the Gujarat Legislative Assembly maintain order and interpret rules. Committee reports have informed state audits by the Comptroller and Auditor General of India and administrative reforms debated by ministers from portfolios such as Finance Minister of Gujarat and Revenue Minister of Gujarat.

Buildings and infrastructure

The Assembly meets in the Vidhana Sabha Bhavan, Gandhinagar, a complex developed following the establishment of the state capital at Gandhinagar; the site includes legislative chambers, committee rooms, offices for members, and facilities linked to the Gujarat Secretariat. The complex's design and expansion projects have involved state agencies like the Gujarat Industrial Development Corporation and interactions with urban planning bodies including the Gandhinagar Urban Development Authority. Security and protocol arrangements coordinate with the Gujarat Police and central agencies during visits by dignitaries such as the President of India and Prime Minister of India.

Notable legislation and political developments

Notable legislative acts debated in the Assembly have included state budgets with major infrastructure allocations, land and industry statutes affecting initiatives by entities like the Gujarat State Petroleum Corporation and the Gujarat Industrial Development Corporation, and social welfare schemes referenced alongside national programs like Make in India and Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana. Political developments of consequence include periods of long-running governance by the Bharatiya Janata Party, leadership transitions from figures such as Keshubhai Patel to Narendra Modi and later Vijay Rupani and Bhupendrabhai Patel, and electoral shifts marked by campaigns around issues connected to events like the 2002 Gujarat riots and policy debates mirrored in other states such as Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh.

Category:State legislatures of India Category:Politics of Gujarat