By IANS,
Chenna: Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M. Karunanidhi Wednesday announced his government’s plans to revive the legislative council, or the upper house of the state legislature, but the Left parties staunchly opposed the move.
Responding to a suggestion from DMK member Anita Radhakrishnan to revive the council abolished in 1986, Karunanidhi said he was in agreement with the idea and necessary steps would be taken in this regard.
Communist Party of India-Marxist (CPM) member Nanmaran expressed his party’s avowed opposition to the concept of the upper house.
Concurring with him, Communist Party of India (CPI) member Sivapuniam said: “Many state legislatures in India do not have the upper house. All the views can be expressed in this house itself. The setting up of upper house will involve additional cost.”
Supporting the DMK move to revive the council, Congress Legislative Party Leader D. Sudarsanam said: “The upper houses in Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh are functioning well. The Congress party supports the move to revive the council.”
Revival of the upper house is one of the promises the ruling DMK made in the run-up to the 2006 assembly election.
The party was not successful in reviving the council when it was in power in 1989-91 and 1996-2001 as it did not command a two-thirds majority in the assembly.
Members of the council have become chief ministers twice. In 1952, C. Rajagopalachari was nominated to the council so that he could become chief minister. In 1967, DMK founder C.N. Annadurai became the chief minister and then became a member of the council.