Karnataka Legislative Assembly ಕರ್ನಾಟಕ ವಿಧಾನಸಭೆ
16th Karnataka Assembly
Type
Type	Lower house of the Karnataka Legislature
Term limits	5 years
History
Founded	1881 (143 years ago) (1881)
Preceded by	Mysuru Legislative Assembly
Leadership
Governor	Thawar Chand Gehlot, BJP since 11 July 2021
Speaker	U. T. Khader Fareed, INC since 24 May 2023
Deputy Speaker	R. M. Lamani, INC since 6 July 2023
Leader of the House (Chief Minister)	Siddaramaiah, INC since 20 May 2023
Deputy Leader of the house (Deputy Chief Minister)	D. K. Shivakumar, INC since 20 May 2023
Minister of Legislative Affairs	H. K. Patil, INC since 3 July 2023
Leader of the Opposition	R. Ashoka, BJP since 17 Nov 2023
Deputy Leader of the Opposition	Arvind Bellad, BJP since 25 December 2023
Structure
Seats	224
Political groups	Government (137)   INDIA (137)   INC (136)   SKP (1) Official Opposition (86)   NDA (86)   BJP (67)   JD(S) (19) Vacant (1)   Vacant (1)[1]
Length of term	2023 – 2028
Elections
Voting system	First past the post
First election	26 March 1952
Last election	10 May 2023
Next election	May 2028
Meeting place
Vidhana Soudha, Bengaluru, Karnataka, India.
Suvarna Vidhana Soudha, Belagavi, Karnataka, India (Winter session)
Website
Karnataka Legislative Assembly
Footnotes
The Council was established in 1881 for the Princely State of Mysore. The princely state was merged with the Dominion of India and became Mysore State in 1947; Mysore State was re-organized to its current territorial state in 1956 and renamed as Karnataka on 1 November 1973.

The Karnataka Legislative Assembly (formerly the Mysore Legislative Assembly) is the lower house of the bicameral legislature of the southern Indian state of Karnataka. Karnataka is one of the six states in India where the state legislature is bicameral, comprising two houses: the Vidhan Sabha (lower house) and the Vidhan Parishad (upper house).^[2]

^[3] There are 224 Members of the Legislative Assembly (MLAs) and are directly elected by people through adult franchise. Karnataka is thus divided into 224 constituencies to elect members to the Assembly, each constituency electing one member. The assembly is elected using the simple plurality or "first past the post" electoral system. The elections are conducted by the Election Commission of India.

The normal term of the members lasts for five years. In case of death, resignation, or disqualification of a member, a by-election is conducted for constituency represented by the member. The party, or coalition which has the majority becomes the ruling party.

History

Mysore Representative Assembly was constituted in 1881 by Maharaja Chamaraja Wadiyar X, the first of its kind in princely India. It formed the Kingdom's sole unicameral legislature until when, in 1907, an upper house was carved out of it to form the Mysore Legislative Council, resulting in the Assembly's functioning as the lower house.

On 16 December 1949, Maharaja Jayachamaraja Wadiyar dissolved the sitting representative and legislative assemblies. A constituent assembly that was constituted in 1947 became the provisional assembly of Mysore until elections were held in 1952.

On Wednesday, 18 June 1952, at 11:00 am, the first session of the newly-formed Mysore Legislative Assembly was held at a conference hall in the old Public Offices building (the Attara Kacheri, the current seat of the Karnataka High Court) in Bangalore. The first assembly in Mysore formed under the Constitution of India, it had 99 elected members and one nominated member. In the first sitting of the assembly, V. Venkatappa, the honorary speaker, administered the oath of office to the members (including the then Chief Minister Kengal Hanumanthaiah), and then conducted an election to the post of speaker, which was contested by socialist leader Shantaveri Gopalagowda and H. Siddaiah. With 74 votes, the latter won, and Hanumanthaiah delivered a speech.

With the formation of Andhra state in 1953, parts of Bellary district from Madras State were added to Mysore state and the strength of the Assembly increased by five members. After the re-organization of the state of Mysore came into being on 1 November 1956 with four districts from the former Bombay state, three districts of Hyderabad state, a district, and taluk of the old Madras state of Coorg, and the princely state of Mysore. The state was renamed Karnataka in 1973.

The first sitting of the new assembly was held on 19 December 1956 in the newly built Vidhana Soudha. The strength of the assembly, which was 208 in 1957 increased to 216 in 1967 and to 224 plus a nominated member in 1978.

The only woman to have held the post of Speaker was K. S. Nagarathanamma, who served from 24 March 1972 to 3 March 1978.

The Budget Session and The Monsoon Session of the Legislature are held in Vidhana Soudha, Bengaluru. The Winter Session of the Legislature is held in Suvarna Vidhana Soudha in Belagavi.

List of assemblies

Members of Legislative Assembly