UNI

Hyderabad, Mar 18: The completion of the ongoing election process by March 26, will see the formation of a new Legislative Council (LC) in Andhra Pradesh after a gap of nearly 20 years.

The enactment of the Andhra Pradesh Legislative Council Act on January 11, 2006 by the Congress government paved way for the constitution of a new Legislative Council in the state.

The state Assembly on July 8, 2005, passed a resolution recommending the Centre revive the long-defunct LC.

The revival of LC was one of the poll promises of the ruling Congress.

It was actor-turned-politician N T Rama Rao, the then Chief Minister of Andhra Pradesh, who scrapped the LC in 1984.

Finding the TDP in an embarrassing situation in the Congress- dominated LC, he scrapped the upper chamber, stating that the ''bicameral legislature was a waste of public money''.

The house of elders will comprise 90 members, of which 31 would elected by the MLAs, 31 from Local Authorities, eight each from Graduates and Teachers constituencies and the remaining 12 nominated by the Governor.

The Council, which was formed in 1956, had prominent members including Congress stalwarts like K Rosaiah (now Finance Minister), K Keshava Rao (now PCC President), V Purushotam Reddy, Ganta Krishnamurthy and BJP leaders Jupudi Yagna Narayana and V Rama Rao (now Governor of Sikkim).