Vidhan Parishad - Membership

Membership

In contrast with a state's Vidhan Sabha (Legislative Assembly), the Legislative Council is a permanent body and cannot be dissolved.; each Member of the Legislative Council (MLC) serves for a six-year term, with terms staggered so that the terms of one-third of a Council's members expire every two years. This arrangement parallels that for the Rajya Sabha, the upper house of the Parliament of India.

MLCs must be citizens of India, at least 30 years' old, mentally sound, not bankrupt, and on the voters' list of the state for which he or she is contesting an election. He or she may not be a Member of Parliament at the same time.

The size of the Vidhan Parishad cannot be more than one-third the membership of the Vidhan Sabha. However, its size cannot be less than 40 members (except in Jammu and Kashmir, where there are 36 by an Act of Parliament.

MLCs are chosen in the following manner:

• One-third are elected by members of local bodies such as corporations, municipalities, and zilla parishads.
• One-third are elected by members of Legislative Assembly from among the persons who are not members of the Assembly.
• One-twelfth are elected persons who are graduates of three years' standing residing in that state.
• One-twelfth are elected by persons engaged for at least three years in teaching in educational institutions within the state not lower than secondary schools, including colleges and universities.
• One-sixth are nominated by the governor from persons having knowledge or practical experience in fields such as literature, science, arts, the co-operative movement and social service.