Tamil Nadu to have Upper House

CHENNAI: Tamil Nadu will soon have a legislative council after a gap of 20 years. In his inaugural address to the 13th Legislative Assembly on Wednesday, Governor S S Barnala said the government would take steps for the constitutional amendment in this regard.

The DMK and the AIADMK have been involved in a tug of war over the revival of the Upper House ever since 1986 when chief minister M G Ramachandran abolished it. After two unsuccessful attempts during its previous tenures, the DMK had mentioned the revival of the council in its 2006 election manifesto.

With the DPA having more than two-thirds majority in the Assembly to pass a resolution and a friendly government at the Centre to pass a legislation endorsing it, revival of the council looks certain.

Former stalwarts like Rajaji and Anna Durai had become chief ministers as members of the legislative council. Karunanidhi, too, was a member of the council when MGR was the chief minister.

While Karunanidhi has been maintaining that the council was needed to involve educationists, economists and social activists in the government’s decision making, sceptics see it as an attempt to rehabilitate ruling party leaders. Beyond the merits and demerits of having the Upper House, the DMK-AIADMK tussle on the matter is glaring. MGR abolished the council fearing that Karunanidhi might become the leader of the Opposition in the Upper House.