Few Minutes Series- Polity(9th March)

Polity

Subscribe to Sleepy Classes on youtube for more daily videos

Visit our website http://www.sleepyclasses.com for more such content.

Chandigarh demands MP in Rajya Sabha

What happened?

·        A Private Member Bill was introduced by Congress MP from Anandpur Sahib, Punjab, Manish Tewari, who is a resident of Chandigarh to  amend Article 80.

·        Article 80 of the Constitution of India deals with the composition of the council of states also called the Upper House and Rajya Sabha (Upper House).

·        It was following a move by Chandigarh Municipal Corporation which approved a proposal to amend Article 80 of the Constitution so that its councillors could send a representative to the Rajya Sabha. 

Demands of Bill?

• The Bill has sought the adding of a provision “provided that the ‘representative of the Union Territory of Chandigarh in the council of states shall be elected by an electoral college consisting of elected members of Municipal Corporation of Chandigarh constituted under the Punjab Municipal Corporation (Extension to Chandigarh) Act, 1994” in Article 80 of the Constitution in clause (5). 
• MP Tewari has also sought amendment of the Fourth Schedule of the Constitution with ‘Entry 32, Chandigarh..”

Legal Basis

• Chandigarh is a Union Territory (UT) without any legislative assembly. Chandigarh has a seat of Member of Parliament (MP) in the lower house (Lok Sabha) or House of the People.
• The office of Senior Standing Counsel, Chandigarh pointed that the elected Municipal Corporation Councillors do not form the electoral college for selecting a member for Upper house (Rajya Sabha) because it is beyond the powers of the Municipal Corporation. 
• However it was also pointed out that pointed out that between 1966 and 1990, MPs for Rajya Sabha in Delhi were selected by the members of the Metropolitan Council of Delhi.

Present status

Examine relevance of UTs in Federal India and changes required in the