Delhi Legislative Assembly

The Legislative Assembly of the National Capital Territory of Delhi is the unicameral legislature of the union territory of Delhi in India. Delhi Legislative Assembly is the legislative arm of the Government of Delhi. At present, it consists of 70 members, directly elected from 70 constituencies. The tenure of the Legislative Assembly is five years unless dissolved sooner.

The seat of assembly is the Old Secretariat building, which is also the seat of the Government of Delhi.

History

The Delhi Legislative Assembly was first constituted on 7 March 1952 under the Government of Part C States Act, 1951; it was inaugurated by Home Minister K. N. Katju. The Assembly had 48 members, and a Council of Ministers in an advisory role to the Chief Commissioner of Delhi, though it also had powers to make laws. The first Council of Ministers was led by Brahm Prakash, who became the first Chief Minister of Delhi.^[1][2]

However, the States Reorganisation Commission, set up in 1953, led to the Constitutional amendment through States Reorganisation Act, 1956, which came into effect on 1 November 1956. This meant that Delhi was no longer a Part-C State and was made a Union Territory under the direct administration of the President of India. Also the Delhi Legislative Assembly and the Council of Ministers were abolished simultaneously. Subsequently, the Delhi Municipal Corporation Act, 1957 was enacted which led to the formation the Municipal Corporation.^[1]

In September 1966, with "The Delhi Administration Act, 1966", the assembly was replaced by the Delhi Metropolitan Council with 56 elected and five nominated members with the Lt. Governor of Delhi as its head. The Council however had no legislative powers, only an advisory role in the governance of Delhi. This set up functioned until 1990.^[1][3]

This Council was finally replaced by the Delhi Legislative Assembly through the Constitution (Sixty-ninth Amendment) Act, 1991, followed by the Government of National Capital Territory of Delhi Act, 1991 the Sixty-ninth Amendment to the Constitution of India, which declared the Union Territory of Delhi to be formally known as National Capital Territory of Delhi and also supplements the constitutional provisions relating to the Legislative Assembly and the Council of Ministers and related matters.^[4] The Legislative Assembly is selected for period of five years, and presently it is the eighth assembly, which was selected through the 2025 Delhi Legislative Assembly Election.

Assembly building

The building was originally built in 1912, designed by E. Montague Thomas to hold the Imperial Legislative Council and subsequently the Central Legislative Assembly (after 1919), until the newly constructed Parliament House of India in New Delhi (Sansad Bhawan) was inaugurated on 18 January 1927.^[1] The site was built over the land of the former Old Chandrawal village.^[5]

The building also housed the Secretariat of the Government of India, and was built after the capital of India shifted to Delhi from Calcutta. The temporary secretariat building was constructed in a few months' time in 1912. It functioned as the Secretariat for another decade, before the offices shifted to the present Secretariat Building on Raisina Hill.^[6]

List of assemblies

Office bearers

See also

• Delhi Metropolitan Council
• List of constituencies of the Delhi Legislative Assembly
• List of chief ministers of Delhi
• List of deputy chief ministers of Delhi
• List of speakers of the Delhi Legislative Assembly

References

1. ^ "History of Delhi Legislative Assembly". Legislative Assembly of Delhi website. Archived 22 September 2017 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved 2 November 2014.
2. ^ "Brahm Prakash: Delhi's first CM, ace parliamentarian". Hindustan Times. 27 September 2013. Archived from the original on 1 March 2014. Retrieved 22 January 2014.
3. ^ "Delhi Metropolitan Council(1966–1990)". Delhi Legislative Assembly. Archived 25 August 2014 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved 22 January 2014.
4. ^ "THE CONSTITUTION (Sixty-ninth Amendment) Act, 1991". Archived 21 August 2016 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved 2 November 2014.
5. ^ Sharma, Manoj (21 September 2013). "Delhi Vidhan Sabha was once British seat of power". *Hindustan Times*. Retrieved 8 November 2025 – via https://www.hindustantimes.com/india/delhi-vidhan-sabha-was-once-british-seat-of-power/story-QxslbJGljuzjJ1LHKYbpuJ.html
6. ^ "Architectural marvels for the new capital". Hindustan Times. 20 July 2011. Archived from the original on 2 November 2014.

External links

• Official Site of Legislature in Delhi
• Legislative Bodies of India- Delhi
• "The Government of National Capital Territory of Delhi Act, 1991" at the National Informatics Centre website