Karnataka Legislative Council

The Karnataka Legislative Council stands as a unique embodiment of India's democratic journey, serving as the upper house of the state's bicameral legislature. Far from a simple elected body, its roots trace back to a princely state, and its composition today reflects a fascinating blend of direct and indirect representation. This intricate design ensures diverse voices and expertise contribute to the state's governance, making it a truly permanent and deliberative chamber. The Karnataka Legislative Council originated in the princely state of Mysore as an advisory body, evolving significantly over more than a century. It is a permanent, bicameral body with 75 members, where one-third of its members retire every two years, ensuring continuity. Members are drawn from five distinct categories: local authorities, elected by the Legislative Assembly, graduates, teachers, and nominees of the Governor.

Source: Wikipedia

AI Summary

The Karnataka Legislative Council originated in the princely state of Mysore as an advisory body, evolving significantly over more than a century.
It is a permanent, bicameral body with 75 members, where one-third of its members retire every two years, ensuring continuity.
Members are drawn from five distinct categories: local authorities, elected by the Legislative Assembly, graduates, teachers, and nominees of the Governor.

The Karnataka Legislative Council: India's Bicameral Tradition

In India's vibrant democracy, some states employ a bicameral legislature, meaning they have two houses to deliberate on laws. Karnataka is one such state, and its upper house is known as the Karnataka Legislative Council. It acts as a crucial check and balance, complementing the directly elected Legislative Assembly.

This council isn't like a typical assembly; it's designed as a 'permanent body' with 75 members. What does 'permanent' mean? It signifies that it's never dissolved entirely. Instead, members serve six-year terms, with a third of them retiring every two years, leading to staggered elections and a continuous flow of legislative experience.

A Glimpse into the Past: Mysore's Royal Legacy

To understand the Karnataka Legislative Council, we must journey back to the princely state of Mysore. In 1881, Maharaja Chamarajendra Wadiyar X established the unicameral Mysore Representative Assembly. But as governance grew more complex, a new vision emerged.

Birth of a Legislative Idea: 1907

It was under the reign of Krishna Raja Wadiyar IV in 1907 that the Mysore Legislative Council was formally established. The intent was clear: to create a body of non-official persons, possessing practical experience and knowledge of local conditions, to assist the government in making laws and regulations.

Initially, the Council comprised the Diwan, ex-officio members, and 10 to 15 additional members nominated by the government and approved by the Maharaja. Crucially, at least two-fifths of these additional members were required to be non-officials, bringing diverse perspectives to the table.

Expanding Influence: More Voices, More Power

Over the years, the Council's strength and powers grew. By 1919, its maximum membership had increased to 30. A significant leap came in 1923, when its strength was fixed at 50, with 22 seats allotted to elected members, marking a shift towards more direct representation.

The Council's legislative role also expanded. In 1914, it gained the power to discuss the state budget. By 1923, it could even vote on demands for grants, and resolutions became a regular part of its discourse. Its term also saw changes, from three years in 1917 to four years in 1940.

From Princely State to Modern Karnataka

The modern form of the Legislative Council took shape after India's independence. With the implementation of the States Reorganisation Act of 1956, the Mysore State was reorganized, and its Legislative Council's strength increased to 63 members.

A momentous change occurred in 1973 when the Mysore State was renamed Karnataka. Consequently, the Council became the Karnataka Legislative Council. Its strength was further increased to the current 75 members in 1987, following a resolution by the Legislative Assembly and approval by the Parliament of India.

How the Council is Formed Today: The 75 Seats Explained

The 75 members of the Karnataka Legislative Council are chosen through a fascinating, multi-pronged approach designed to bring a wide array of expertise and local knowledge into the legislative process. It's a system that truly reflects the fabric of society.

The Local Link: Voices from Municipalities

Twenty-five members are elected by local authorities, such as municipalities and corporations. This ensures that voices from the grassroots level of governance have direct representation in the state's upper house. This category currently sees close competition between the INC and BJP.

The Legislative Assembly's Choice

Another 25 members are elected by the members of the Legislative Assembly itself. This mechanism fosters a connection between the two houses, ensuring that the lower house's mandate is also reflected in the upper house's composition.

Representing Knowledge: Graduates and Teachers

To ensure intellectual and educational representation, seven members are elected from constituencies specifically for graduates, and another seven from teachers' constituencies. These seats bring specialized knowledge and advocacy for education into legislative debates.

The Governor's Nominees: Expertise and Experience

Finally, eleven members are nominated by the Governor of Karnataka. These individuals are typically chosen for their distinguished service in fields such as literature, science, art, cooperative movement, or social service, allowing for the inclusion of non-political expertise in law-making.

Article

Karnataka Legislative Council

The Karnataka Legislative Council (formerly the Mysore Legislative Council) is the upper house of the state legislature of Karnataka in India. Karnataka is one of six Indian states with a bicameral legislature; the Legislative Assembly is the lower house. The Council is a permanent body of 75 members, of whom 64 are elected in various ways in staggered elections and 11 are appointed by the Governor of Karnataka. Members hold their seats for six-year terms.

History

Karnataka Legislative Council

Originally, the government of the princely state of Mysore comprised the diwan and the unicameral Mysore Representative Assembly (constituted in 1881 by Maharaja Chamarajendra Wadiyar X). With the intent of creating a body composed of a certain number of non-official persons with practical experience and knowledge of local conditions to assist the government in making laws and regulations, the Mysore Legislative Council was established by Regulation I of 1907, in the reign of Krishna Raja Wadiyar IV. In addition to the diwan, the president and the members of the Council, who were ex-officio members, the Council at that time consisted of not less than 10 and not more than 15 additional members to be nominated by the government and approved by the Maharaja, out of which not less than two-fifths were required to be non-officials. The minimum and maximum number of additional members was increased from 15 to 21 respectively by Regulation I of 1914 and the maximum was further increased to 30 by Regulation II of 1919.

In 1923, under the Mysore Legislative Council Regulation, (Regulation XIX of 1923), the strength of the Council was fixed at 50. Of the 50 seats, 28 were allotted to the nominated members (20 official and 8 non-official) and 22 to elected members. In 1914, the Council was empowered to discuss the state budget, and in 1923 it was given power to vote on the demands for grants. From 1919 onwards, resolutions were discussed in the Council. The term of the Council was three years in 1917 and four years in 1940.

After the implementation of the States Reorganisation Act, 1956, the strength of the Legislative Council of the re-organized Mysore State was increased to 63 under the Legislative Councils Act of 1957 and remained as such until 1987. The council was renamed following the renaming of Mysore State as Karnataka in 1973. Following adoption of a resolution in Karnataka Legislative Assembly on 18 August 1986 and subsequent approval by the Parliament of India, the strength of Legislative Council was increased to 75 with effect from 8 September 1987.

Constituencies and Members

Karnataka Legislative Council

The Karnataka Legislative Council is a permanent body with one-third of its members retiring every two years. Members of Legislative Council (MLCs) serve six-year terms, with no limit on reelections.

Of the 75 members of the Council, 25 are elected by local authorities such as municipalities and corporations, 25 are elected by members of the Legislative Assembly, 7 are elected from graduates' constituencies, 7 are elected from teachers' constituencies, and 11 members are nominated by the Governor of Karnataka. The following is the list of the current members:

Members elected by Legislative Assembly (25)

Keys: INC (15) BJP (8) JD(S) (2)

<table><thead><tr><th>#</th><th>Member</th><th colspan="2">Party</th><th>Term start</th><th>Term end</th></tr></thead><tbody><tr><td>1</td><td>B. K. Hariprasad</td><td></td><td>INC</td><td>1-Jul-2026</td><td>30-Jun-2032</td></tr><tr><td>2</td><td>P. V. Mohan</td><td></td><td>INC</td><td>1-Jul-2026</td><td>30-Jun-2032</td></tr><tr><td>3</td><td>Tippannappa Kamaknoor</td><td></td><td>INC</td><td>1 July 2026</td><td>30-Jun-2032</td></tr><tr><td>4</td><td>Shivanna Malavalli</td><td></td><td>INC</td><td>1 July 2026</td><td>30-Jun-2032</td></tr><tr><td>5</td><td>Vinay Karthik Prakash</td><td></td><td>INC</td><td>1-Jul-2026</td><td>30-Jun-2032</td></tr><tr><td>6</td><td>N. S. Boseraju</td><td></td><td>INC</td><td>18-Jun-2024</td><td>17-Jun-2030</td></tr><tr><td>7</td><td>Yathindra Siddaramaiah</td><td></td><td>INC</td><td>18-Jun-2024</td><td>17-Jun-2030</td></tr><tr><td>8</td><td>K. Govindaraj</td><td></td><td>INC</td><td>18-Jun-2024</td><td>17-Jun-2030</td></tr><tr><td>9</td><td>A. Vasanth Kumar</td><td></td><td>INC</td><td>18-Jun-2024</td><td>17-Jun-2030</td></tr><tr><td>10</td><td>Bilkis Bano</td><td></td><td>INC</td><td>18-Jun-2024</td><td>17-Jun-2030</td></tr><tr><td>11</td><td>Ivan D'Souza</td><td></td><td>INC</td><td>18-Jun-2024</td><td>17-Jun-2030</td></tr><tr><td>12</td><td>Jagdev Guttedar</td><td></td><td>INC</td><td>18-Jun-2024</td><td>17-Jun-2030</td></tr><tr><td>13</td><td>M. Nagaraju Yadav</td><td></td><td>INC</td><td>14-Jun-2022</td><td>13-Jun-2028</td></tr><tr><td>14</td><td>K. Abdul Jabbar</td><td></td><td>INC</td><td>14-Jun-2022</td><td>13-Jun-2028</td></tr><tr><td>15</td><td>Basanagouda Badarli</td><td></td><td>INC</td><td>11-Jul-2024</td><td>13-Jun-2028</td></tr><tr><td>16</td><td>Raghu Kautilya</td><td></td><td>BJP</td><td>1-Jul-2026</td><td>30-Jun-2032</td></tr><tr><td>17</td><td>Lingaraj Patil</td><td></td><td>BJP</td><td>1-Jul-2026</td><td>30-Jun-2032</td></tr><tr><td>18</td><td>C. T. Ravi</td><td></td><td>BJP</td><td>18-Jun-2024</td><td>17-Jun-2030</td></tr><tr><td>19</td><td>N. Ravikumar</td><td></td><td>BJP</td><td>18-Jun-2024</td><td>17-Jun-2030</td></tr><tr><td>20</td><td>Marutirao Muley</td><td></td><td>BJP</td><td>18-Jun-2024</td><td>17-Jun-2030</td></tr><tr><td>21</td><td>S Keshava Prasad</td><td></td><td>BJP</td><td>14-Jun-2022</td><td>13-Jun-2028</td></tr><tr><td>22</td><td>Hemalatha Nayak</td><td></td><td>BJP</td><td>14-Jun-2022</td><td>13-Jun-2028</td></tr><tr><td>23</td><td>Chalavadi Narayanaswamy</td><td></td><td>BJP</td><td>14-Jun-2022</td><td>13-Jun-2028</td></tr><tr><td>24</td><td>T. N. Javarayi Gowda</td><td></td><td>JDS</td><td>18-Jun-2024</td><td>17-Jun-2030</td></tr><tr><td>25</td><td>T.A. Sharavana</td><td></td><td>JDS</td><td>14-Jun-2022</td><td>13-Jun-2028</td></tr></tbody></table>

Local Authorities constituencies (25)

Keys: INC (12) BJP (10) JD(S) (2) IND (1)

<table><thead><tr><th>#</th><th>Constituency</th><th>Member</th><th colspan="2">Party</th><th>Term start</th><th>Term end</th></tr></thead><tbody><tr><td>1</td><td>Bidar</td><td>Bhimrao Patil</td><td></td><td>INC</td><td>6-Jan-2022</td><td>5-Jan-2028</td></tr><tr><td>2</td><td>Kalaburagi–Yadgir</td><td>B. G. Patil</td><td></td><td>BJP</td><td>6-Jan-2022</td><td>5-Jan-2028</td></tr><tr><td>3</td><td>Bijapur–Bagalkot</td><td>Sunil Gouda B. Patil</td><td></td><td>INC</td><td>6-Jan-2022</td><td>5-Jan-2028</td></tr><tr><td>4</td><td>Bijapur–Bagalkot</td><td>P. H. Poojara</td><td></td><td>BJP</td><td>6-Jan-2022</td><td>5-Jan-2028</td></tr><tr><td>5</td><td>Belgaum</td><td>Channaraj Hattiholi</td><td></td><td>INC</td><td>6-Jan-2022</td><td>5-Jan-2028</td></tr><tr><td>6</td><td>Belgaum</td><td>Lakhan Jarakiholi</td><td></td><td>Ind</td><td>6-Jan-2022</td><td>5-Jan-2028</td></tr><tr><td>7</td><td>Uttara Kannada</td><td>Ganapathi Ulvekar</td><td></td><td>BJP</td><td>6-Jan-2022</td><td>5-Jan-2028</td></tr><tr><td>8</td><td>Dharwad–Gadag–Haveri</td><td>Saleem Ahmed</td><td></td><td>INC</td><td>6-Jan-2022</td><td>5-Jan-2028</td></tr><tr><td>9</td><td>Dharwad–Gadag–Haveri</td><td>Pradeep Shettar</td><td></td><td>BJP</td><td>6-Jan-2022</td><td>5-Jan-2028</td></tr><tr><td>10</td><td>Raichur–Koppal</td><td>Sharana Gowda Patil</td><td></td><td>INC</td><td>6-Jan-2022</td><td>5-Jan-2028</td></tr><tr><td>11</td><td>Bellary–Vijaynagar</td><td>Y. M. Satish</td><td></td><td>BJP</td><td>6-Jan-2022</td><td>5-Jan-2028</td></tr><tr><td>12</td><td>Chitradurga–Davangere</td><td>K. S. Naveen</td><td></td><td>BJP</td><td>6-Jan-2022</td><td>5-Jan-2028</td></tr><tr><td>13</td><td>Shivamogga</td><td>D. S. Arun</td><td></td><td>BJP</td><td>6-Jan-2022</td><td>5-Jan-2028</td></tr><tr><td>14</td><td>Dakshina Kannada–Udupi</td><td>Kishore B.R.</td><td></td><td>BJP</td><td>21-Oct-2024</td><td>5-Jan-2028</td></tr><tr><td>15</td><td>Dakshina Kannada–Udupi</td><td>Manjunath Bhandari</td><td></td><td>INC</td><td>6-Jan-2022</td><td>5-Jan-2028</td></tr><tr><td>16</td><td>Chikmagaluru</td><td>A. V. Gayatri Shanthegowda</td><td></td><td>INC</td><td>16-Jul-2026</td><td>5-Jan-2028</td></tr><tr><td>17</td><td>Hassan</td><td>Suraj Revanna</td><td></td><td>JDS</td><td>6-Jan-2022</td><td>5-Jan-2028</td></tr><tr><td>18</td><td>Tumakuru</td><td>R. Rajendra</td><td></td><td>INC</td><td>6-Jan-2022</td><td>5-Jan-2028</td></tr><tr><td>19</td><td>Mandya</td><td>M. G. Gooligowda</td><td></td><td>INC</td><td>6-Jan-2022</td><td>5-Jan-2028</td></tr><tr><td>20</td><td>Bengaluru Urban</td><td>H. S. Gopinath Reddy</td><td></td><td>BJP</td><td>6-Jan-2022</td><td>5-Jan-2028</td></tr><tr><td>21</td><td>Bengaluru Rural–Ramanagar</td><td>Shambulingaiah Ravi</td><td></td><td>INC</td><td>6-Jan-2022</td><td>5-Jan-2028</td></tr><tr><td>22</td><td>Kolar–Chikkaballapur</td><td>Anil Kumar</td><td></td><td>INC</td><td>6-Jan-2022</td><td>5-Jan-2028</td></tr><tr><td>23</td><td>Kodagu</td><td>Suja Kushalappa</td><td></td><td>BJP</td><td>6-Jan-2022</td><td>5-Jan-2028</td></tr><tr><td>24</td><td>Mysuru–Chamarajanagara</td><td>C. N. Manje Gowda</td><td></td><td>JDS</td><td>6-Jan-2022</td><td>5-Jan-2028</td></tr><tr><td>25</td><td>Mysuru–Chamarajanagara</td><td>D. Thimmaiah</td><td></td><td>INC</td><td>6-Jan-2022</td><td>5-Jan-2028</td></tr></tbody></table>

Elected from Graduates constituencies (7)

Keys: BJP (4) INC(3)

<table><thead><tr><th>#</th><th>Constituency</th><th>Member</th><th colspan="2">Party</th><th>Term start</th><th>Term end</th></tr></thead><tbody><tr><td>1</td><td>Karnataka South-East Graduates</td><td>Chidanand M. Gowda</td><td></td><td>BJP</td><td>10-Nov-2020</td><td>9-Nov-2026</td></tr><tr><td>2</td><td>Karnataka North-East Graduates</td><td>Chandrasekhar Patil</td><td></td><td>INC</td><td>22-Jun-2024</td><td>21-Jun-2030</td></tr><tr><td>3</td><td>Karnataka North-West Graduates</td><td>Hanumant Nirani</td><td></td><td>BJP</td><td>5-Jul-2022</td><td>4-Jul-2028</td></tr><tr><td>4</td><td>Karnataka South Graduates</td><td>Madhu Madhe Gowda</td><td></td><td>INC</td><td>5-Jul-2022</td><td>4-Jul-2028</td></tr><tr><td>5</td><td>Karnataka West Graduates</td><td>S. V. Sankanura</td><td></td><td>BJP</td><td>10-Nov-2020</td><td>9-Nov-2026</td></tr><tr><td>6</td><td>Bangalore Graduates</td><td>Dr. Ramoji Gowda</td><td></td><td>INC</td><td>22-Jun-2024</td><td>21-Jun-2030</td></tr><tr><td>7</td><td>Karnataka South-West Graduates</td><td>Dhananjaya Sarji</td><td></td><td>BJP</td><td>22-Jun-2024</td><td>21-Jun-2030</td></tr></tbody></table>

Elected from Teachers constituencies (7)

Keys: INC (3) BJP (2) JD(S) (2)

Nominated by the Governor (11)

<table><thead><tr><th>#</th><th>Member</th><th colspan="2">Party</th><th>Term start</th><th>Term end</th></tr></thead><tbody><tr><td>1</td><td>Arathi Krishna</td><td></td><td>INC</td><td>10-Sep-2025</td><td>09-Sep-2031</td></tr><tr><td>2</td><td>K Shivakumar</td><td></td><td>INC</td><td>10-Sep-2025</td><td>09-Sep-2031</td></tr><tr><td>3</td><td>FH Jakkappanavar</td><td></td><td>INC</td><td>10-Sep-2025</td><td>09-Sep-2031</td></tr><tr><td>4</td><td>Umashree</td><td></td><td>INC</td><td>21-Aug-2023</td><td>20-Aug-2029</td></tr><tr><td>5</td><td>M. R. Seetharam</td><td></td><td>INC</td><td>21-Aug-2023</td><td>20-Aug-2029</td></tr><tr><td>6</td><td>H. P. Sudham Das</td><td></td><td>INC</td><td>21-Aug-2023</td><td>20-Aug-2029</td></tr><tr><td>7</td><td>TBD</td><td></td><td>INC</td><td>2026</td><td>21-Jul-2032</td></tr><tr><td>8</td><td>TBD</td><td></td><td>INC</td><td>2026</td><td>21-Jul-2032</td></tr><tr><td>9</td><td>TBD</td><td></td><td>INC</td><td>2026</td><td>21-Jul-2032</td></tr><tr><td>10</td><td>TBD</td><td></td><td>INC</td><td>2026</td><td>21-Jul-2032</td></tr><tr><td>11</td><td>TBD</td><td></td><td>INC</td><td>2026</td><td>21-Jul-2032</td></tr></tbody></table>