BJP MLA makes bizarre demand, wants Maharashtra Legislative Council scrapped

Mumbai: BJP MLA Anil Gote on Thursday demanded scrapping of the Maharashtra Legislative Council, stating that the Upper House did not have "constitutional rights".

Gote argued that while the members of the Legislative Assembly, who are directly elected by people, make laws, they are stalled by the Council.

"We discuss and make laws, which are stalled by the Upper House, which has no constitutional right. Hence, the council needs to be scrapped," he said.

Gote made the remarks in the Legislative Assembly after the Question Hour.

The BJP MLA said that although he had made a similar demand on Wednesday, his statement was expunged. "This is violation of my right as MLA," he said.

"216 of the 219 MLAs had given a notice on December 14, 1953 in the Lower House that the Legislative Council be scrapped. Late (BJP leader) Rambhau Mhalgi, on July 25, 1961 had described the Legislative Council as a historic accident and not a political philosophy," Gote told the house.

Gote said Mhalgi had cited constitutional rules to argue that in a democracy, those elected from a direct election are given priority.

He said that each MLA is elected directly from three and half lakh voters from an Assembly constituency.

"We discuss and make laws, which are stalled by the Upper House, which has no constitutional right. Hence, the Council needs to be scrapped," he said.

Speaking to reporters on the Vidhan Bhavan premises on Wednesday, Gote had said, "There are only six states where Council is in existence. People who are rejected by voters in the assembly elections, come to the Upper House."

"The Legislative Council has no constitutional powers and it exists only to please some people politically," he had said.