HOW THE STATE GOVERNMENT WORKS
An MLA, or Member of the Legislative Assembly, is a representative elected by the people of a specific area or constituency in a state. Each state in India is divided into various constituencies, and from each, one MLA is elected.
The idea behind electing an MLA is to ensure that the views, concerns, and aspirations of the people from that area are represented in the state’s legislative assembly. The MLA acts as a bridge between the government and the public.
Every state in India has a Legislative Assembly, which is the lower house of the state’s bicameral legislature in states that have a Legislative Council (upper house). Using Himachal Pradesh as an example: this state is divided into 68 assembly constituencies. Thus, Himachal Pradesh has 68 MLAs representing the interests of their respective constituencies.
MLAs contest elections under the banner of political parties. When a party wins more than half the total constituencies, it achieves a majority. In our example, the BJP won 44 out of 68 seats in Himachal Pradesh in 2017, making them the ruling party. Parties with fewer seats become the opposition, with the largest of these being the major opposition party.