How State Legislative Assembly Supreme Over the State Legislative Council

The State Legislative Assembly (Vidhan sabha) is a legislative body in the states and union territories of India, It is responsible to legislate laws for the state, pass the state budget, control finances, and initiate bills. 

At the same time, State Legislative Council (Vidhan Parishad) is the upper house of the state legislature in India. The State Legislative Council has limited legislative powers compared to the State Legislative Assembly, as it cannot initiate money bills, and its powers are restricted to making suggestions and recommendations on non-money bills.

In India, the State Legislative Assembly (Vidhan Sabha) is considered supreme over the State Legislative Council (Vidhan Parishad) because of its wider democratic representation and greater accountability to the people.

Here are some of the reasons on State Legislative Assembly is supreme over the State Legislative Council:

• Elected Members: The State Legislative Assembly is directly elected by local people whereas members of the State Legislative Council are elected by indirect methods. Council members are either elected by Assembly people votes or nominated by the governor.
• Financial Control: Assembly has greater control over Council on the state’s finances, as it is the House that can vote on money bills and initiate them. The state Legislative Council can only delay the bills but cannot initiate them. 
• Terms of Service: The State Legislative Assembly has a fixed term of 5 years and it is more frequently renewed directly from people as compared to the State Legislative Council which has a fixed term of 6 years. 
• Size of the House: The State Legislative Assembly is usually larger than the State Legislative Council in terms of the number of members. This means that the Assembly represents a wider cross-section of society and can better reflect the diversity of the state.

Basis of Comparison	State Legislative Assembly (Vidhan Sabha)	State Legislative Council (Vidhan Parishad)
Mode of Election	Directly Elected by People	Indirectly Elected
Legislative Powers	Extensive Powers to make laws for states.	Limited legislative powers, can only delay and suggest changes to bills.
Legislative Procedure	Bills are initiated in Assembly.	The council can only delay bills, and cannot initiate money bills.
Composition	Comprises of elected members who are directly elected by people	Comprises of nominated and elected people by members of local bodies and  State Legislative Assembly.

The above comparison is a general representation and may vary from state to state, as each state has its own legislative procedures and rules. 

Advantages of State Legislative Assembly

• Greater Democratic Representation: They are directly elected by the people which makes them accountable at ground level which can also help manage different diversities of India. 
• Effective Lawmaking: State Legislative Assembly can initiate money bills and have more power over finances so that they can ensure better functioning of states. 
• Control: The State Legislative Assembly has the power to oversee the functioning of the government, hold it accountable, and ensure transparency in its operations.

Disadvantage of the State Legislative Assembly

• Delayed Lawmaking: Two houses delay the process of passing a bill many times which can result in delayed lawmaking and hinder effective governance.
• Costly: The establishment and functioning of both the State Legislative Assembly and State Legislative Council can be expensive and may lead to unnecessary expenditure of public funds.

In conclusion, the State Legislative Assembly is considered supreme over the State Legislative Council in India because it is directly elected by the people, has greater control over the state’s finances, has more extensive legislative powers, and has a shorter term of office, which ensures greater accountability to the people.

Frequently Asked Questions on State Legislative Assembly

Q1. What is the state legislative assembly in Hindi?                                                                                    

Answer: State legislative assembly in hindi is known as vidhan Sabha. 

Q2. What is the state legislative council in Hindi?                                                                                        

Answer: State legislative council in hindi is known as Vidhan Parishad.

Q3. What is the difference between the State Legislative Assembly and the State Legislative Council?        

Answer: The State Legislative Assembly and the State Legislative Council have different roles and functions within the state legislative process, As mentioned above in the article they differ in terms of power and mode of election. The State Legislative Assembly is directly elected by the people of the state and execute more powers, while State Legislative Council is elected by different modes and execute less power. 

Q4. What is “more power” for State Legislative Assembly?  

Answer:  The State Legislative Assembly has more power than the State Legislative Council in the state legislative process because it has the final say on all matters related to lawmaking. Bills passed by the State Legislative Assembly can become law even if the State Legislative Council does not agree with them, but bills passed by the State Legislative Council cannot become law without the approval of the State Legislative Assembly. 

Q5. Is there any role for the Governor in the functioning of the State Legislative Assembly and Council?  

Answer: Yes, the Governor of a state plays an important role in the functioning of both the State Legislative Assembly and Council like disqualifying members or Giving assent to bills. 

Q6. Can a bill be passed without the approval of both the State Legislative Assembly and Council?       

Answer: No, the State Legislative Council cannot veto bills passed by the State Legislative Assembly. It can only suggest amendments to bills passed by the State Legislative Assembly, which the State Legislative Assembly can either accept or reject.