Discuss the composition, powers and functions of the Legislative Assembly of Uttar Pradesh.

Composition

• The Assembly has 403 elected members; the old nominated Anglo-Indian seat ended with the 104th Constitutional Amendment, 2019.
• Members are chosen by adult suffrage from territorial constituencies for a normal term of five years under Article 172, unless dissolved earlier.
• A Speaker and Deputy Speaker are elected from among members; a Secretariat runs the House at Vidhan Bhawan, Lucknow.
• Uttar Pradesh also has a Legislative Council of 100 members, so money bills and deadlocks follow the bicameral rules of Articles 168–169 and 197–198.

Powers

• The Assembly makes laws on the State List and, subject to Union supremacy, on the Concurrent List.
• Money bills originate only here; the Council may recommend but cannot finally block them.
• It passes the annual budget, supplementary demands, and cut motions, which is the core power of the purse.
• It elects Uttar Pradesh’s members of the Rajya Sabha and is the House whose majority the Chief Minister must command.

Functions

• Legislation, budget, and interpellation through questions, adjournment, and no-confidence are the daily functions.
• Subject committees and the Public Accounts Committee audit the executive after the Comptroller and Auditor General.
• The House is the floor-test body when the Governor must know who has majority in a 403-member House.

Limit

• Ordinance-making by the Governor, party whips, and a large House can thin debate, so composition is democratic while function depends on committee time.