State Legislatures and Special Governance Arrangements

State legislatures look a lot like Parliament, but they are not all the same. Some states have one House. Some have two. The Governor plays a special part. This lesson explains how state legislatures work, what a Legislative Council can and cannot do, how Union Territories are run, and how MPLADS lets MPs fund local works.

1Chapter 1: One House or Two?

Must Know

Unicameral is the norm

• Most states have one House, the Legislative Assembly, or Vidhan Sabha.
• It makes state law.
• Voters elect it directly.

Bicameral is the exception

• Six states also have a Legislative Council, or Vidhan Parishad.
• They are Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Bihar, Karnataka, Maharashtra and Uttar Pradesh.
• The Council reviews bills the Assembly has passed and can suggest changes.
• That gives a second look at legislation.
• Exams test this exact list.

Whose choice is it?

• The Constitution permits a Council. It never requires one.
• Article 169 lets a state add or remove its Council.
• The choice reflects each state’s history and politics.

2Chapter 2: The Governor’s Powers

Must Know

Veto and ordinance

• A Governor has veto and ordinance-making powers over state legislation.
• This broadly mirrors the President’s role at the Union level.
• The Governor can withhold assent from a bill the Assembly passed.
• Under Article 213, the Governor can issue an ordinance when the legislature is not sitting.
• An ordinance has the force of an ordinary law.
• The legislature must approve it after it meets again, or it lapses.

Governor versus President

• The two roles are similar in structure.
• A Governor’s powers are narrower in some respects.
• But they carry more discretion in others, such as reserving bills for the President.
• The Governor works with the Chief Minister.
• So the office is a real check within the state’s own law-making, not just a ceremony.
• Read more: The Governor: Office, Powers and Immunities, State Legislature and the Governor and Speaker of the Legislative Assembly.

3Chapter 3: Union Territories

Good to Know

Who runs them?

• Most Union Territories answer to an Administrator whom the President appoints.
• They have no full elected state government with a Chief Minister.

The exceptions

• Delhi and Puducherry have elected legislatures with real but limited law-making powers.
• Jammu and Kashmir, a Union Territory since 2019, also has an elected legislature.
• How much self-rule a Union Territory gets depends on its own constitutional status.
• No single rule fits every UT.

4Chapter 4: MPLADS

Good to Know

MPs recommend, the district delivers

• The Member of Parliament Local Area Development Scheme lets each MP recommend development works in their constituency.
• The government funds them directly. The MP does not spend personal money.
• Each MP gets ₹5 crore a year, in two instalments of ₹2.5 crore.
• The money goes directly to the district authority.
• Unspent funds carry forward. They do not lapse at year end.
• The MP only recommends works, such as a school building or a local road.
• The district authority carries them out.
• The Centre funds the scheme.
• Read more: MPLADS: The MP Local Area Development Scheme.

The debate

• Supporters say MPLADS lets elected members answer real local needs.
• Critics say it blurs the line between a lawmaker’s role and an executive’s role.

5Chapter 5: The Legislative Council Rules

Great to Know

Size and members

• Under Article 171, a Council can have at most one-third of the Assembly’s members.
• It must have at least 40 members.
• Candidates often guess “half the Assembly”. That is wrong.
• Mostly, about one-third are elected by MLAs and one-third by local bodies.
• One-twelfth each come from graduates and teachers.
• The Governor nominates about one-sixth, from people with special knowledge or service.

The Chairman

• The Council elects its own Chairman from its members.
• The Governor plays no part in choosing the Chairman.
• This is a frequently misremembered fact.

Creating or abolishing a Council

• A state cannot do this alone.
• Its Assembly must first pass a resolution by a special majority.
• Then Parliament must pass the law that gives effect to it.
• This is why only six states keep a Council.

6Chapter 6: State and Union Compared

Great to Know

One blueprint

• State legislatures broadly mirror Parliament.
• An Assembly plays the Lok Sabha’s part.
• In bicameral states, a Council plays a part like the Rajya Sabha’s.

The real difference

• Parliament has exclusive power over Union List subjects.
• These include defence, foreign affairs and currency.
• No state legislature can touch them.
• This split is central to India’s federal design.
• What each level can legislate on matters more for exams than which House is which.

7Chapter 7: In the News, February 2026

Current Affairs

MPLADS interest rule

• In February 2026, the Ministry of Finance revised how interest earned on MPLADS funds is handled.
• Interest now goes to the Consolidated Fund of India.
• Earlier it was added back to the MPLADS account and could fund more local projects.

Why the scheme draws scrutiny

• The CAG has flagged uneven fund use, from 49% to 90% across MPs.
• The Second Administrative Reforms Commission argued MPLADS blurs the separation of powers.
• It gives lawmakers an executive role in choosing local projects.
• (Source: Drishti IAS, MPLAD Scheme, 2026.)

8Previous Year Questions

Exam angle: real questions on this topic.

Quick Q&A

• States with Councils? Six.
• Council size cap? One-third of Assembly.
• Minimum Council members? 40.
• MPLADS per MP? ₹5 crore a year.
• Ordinance Article? 213.