LEGISLITIVE ASSEMBLY

Overview

The Andhra Pradesh Legislature has carved for itself a pride of place in the Indian Parliamentary Democratic system by initiating several new peoples friendly legislative practices during the last fifty five years of its journey on the road to achieve all-round development of the State.

Andhra Pradesh, the first linguistic state and the fifth largest state in the Indian union, was formed on 1st November, 1956 with the unification of Andhra State and the Telugu speaking areas of the erstwhile Hyderabad State. Consequent to the formation of State of Andhra Pradesh the 140 Members of Andhra State Legislative Assembly and 105 Members representing the Telugu speaking areas of Hyderabad State were merged together resulting in the formation of Andhra Pradesh Legislative Assembly.

In 1956, the Andhra Pradesh Legislature was Unicameral with only a Legislative Assembly consisting 245 Members. The first meeting of the Andhra Pradesh Legislative Assembly was held on 3rd December, 1956. Sri Ayyadevara Kaleswara Rao and Sri Konda Lakshman Bapuji were elected as the first Speaker and the first Deputy Speaker respectively of the Andhra Pradesh Legislative Assembly.

In 1958, with the constitution of Legislative Council the unicameral Andhra Pradesh Legislature has become bicameral.

Due to delimitation of constituencies several ups and downs have taken place in the number of elected Members of Legislative Assembly in Andhra Pradesh. In 1956 it was 245, in 1962 it was 300, in 1967 and 1972 it was 287 and from 1978 onwards it is 294.

In the five and half decades of history of Andhra Pradesh Legislative Assembly, Sri B.V. Subba Reddy was the only Presiding Officer who has been elected twice as Speaker in 1962 and 1967 unanimously in the Third and Fourth Andhra Pradesh Legislative Assembly.

The most significant feature of the Fourth Legislative Assembly is that it has the highest number of Independents in the House. Out of the 294 elected Members of the Legislative Assembly 68 Members were Independents. Sri P. Ranga Reddy, who has been elected as Speaker in 1972 by the Fifth Andhra Pradesh Legislative Assembly also served as the Chairman of the Andhra Pradesh Legislative Council from 1968 to 1972. He was the only person who has served as the Presiding Officer for both the Houses of Andhra Pradesh Legislature. He was also appointed as Pro-tem Speaker for the Eighth Andhra Pradesh Legislative Assembly in 1985.

Another distinctive feature of the Fifth Legislative Assembly is that its term was extended by one year due to declaration of internal emergency in the country and it was continued up to 1978.

The Sixth Legislative Assembly was constituted on 5th March, 1978.

The Seventh Legislative Assembly was constituted on 8th January, 1983 and was dissolved on 23rd November, 1984. In the history of Andhra Pradesh Legislature the Seventh Legislative Assembly was shortest Assembly in terms of its tenure. Another important feature of the Seventh Assembly was for the first a Confidence Motion was moved and carried in the House on 20th September, 1984.

The Eighth Legislative Assembly was constituted on 8th March, 1985 and dissolved on 28th November, 1989 and during the period of Eighth Legislative Assembly the State Legislature has again become unicameral as the Legislative Council was dissolved on 31st May, 1985.

For the first time the Committee on Welfare of Women and Children and Disabled Welfare was constituted by the Ninth Legislative Assembly in the year 1993.

The Tenth Legislative Assembly which was constituted on 12th December, 1994 has taken several far reaching measures like constitution of Committee on Ethics and Committee on Welfare of Minorities. Live telecasting of Proceedings of the House has also been started during the Tenth Legislative Assembly.

The Eleventh Legislative Assembly which was constituted on 10th October, 1999 has elected Smt. K. Prathibha Bharathi as Speaker, the first women Presiding Officer of the Andhra Pradesh Legislature. The most remarkable feature of the Eleventh Legislative Assembly was that the Members were sent on a study tour to the developing countries of South Asian region.

Dr.A.P.J.Abdul Kalam, the President of India has addressed the Twelfth Legislative Assembly on 14th July, 2004. It was the second time in the history of Andhra Pradesh Legislature that the First Citizen of India has addressed the Legislative Assembly. Previously, Dr. Neelam Sanjeeva Reddy addressed the Members of the Legislature on 28thJune, 1978. The Twelfth Legislative Assembly has taken several new initiatives by constituting the Committee on Wild Life and Environment Protection, Web casting and Digitization of Proceedings of the House.

The present Thirteenth Legislative Assembly which was constituted on 19th May, 2009 has so many notable features to its credit. Out of the 294 elected Members of the Legislative Assembly 147 Members were elected first time to the House. 36 women Members, highest number so far, were elected to the House.

Composition and Duration

The Legislative Assembly consists of 294 elected members and one member nominated by the Governor from among Anglo-Indian Community, under Article 333 of the Constitution of India. The duration of the Assembly is five years from the date appointed for its first meeting, unless sooner dissolved. The expiration of the said period of five years operates as dissolution of the House.

Functions of the Legislative Assembly

The Legislative Assembly has cardinal functions of Legislation, overseeing of administration, passing of budget, and ventilation of public grievances.