The West Bengal Assembly on Tuesday passed a resolution to create a Legislative Council in the state. Out of 265 members present today, 196 MLAs voted in favour, while 69 voted against it.
The formation of a Legislative Council was one of the promises made by the Trinamool Congress in its election manifesto. The BJP has been opposing the plan.
Leader of Opposition Suvendu Adhikari said that it would not be good for “smart governance”, and added that it was a ploy to accommodate some Trinamool leaders who had lost in the 2021 Assembly elections. He said that there was no Vidhan Parishad in 23 states.
Six states in the country – Bihar, Uttar Pradesh, Maharashtra, Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka and Telengana – have Legislative Council. To set up the Legislative Council in Bengal, a Bill has to be passed in the Parliament. Bengal used to have an Upper House formed in 1952, but it was abolished in 1969 through a resolution in the House.
