Bombay Legislative Assembly came into existence in 1937, as the legislature ofBombay Presidency, aprovince of India. It functioned until 1960, when separate states ofMaharashtra andGujarat were formed.
The first session of this assembly was held on 19 July 1937 inPune's Council Hall. The first session of the upper house, thelegislative council was held a day later on 20 July 1937.[1]
Bombay Presidency was a province, which in 1937, includedBombay State,Rewa Kantha Agency,Mahi Kantha Agency,Western India States Agency,Sindh province andAden. Aden was detached in 1937 to be made a separateColony of Aden in order to be kept out of jurisdiction of Bombay Presidency.
Elections were held in 1937 in Bombay State for the legislative assembly. Further,Sindh was made a separate province, detached from the Bombay Presidency in 1936 andLegislative Assembly of Sind was made a separate assembly forSind Province of British India. After theGovernment of India Act 1935 was passed which envisaged a federal type of government; elections were held in 1937 to form provincial governments. The Assembly at that time had a total strength of 175 members.[2]
Balasaheb Gangadhar Kher became the Premier of the Bombay Presidency. But later in 1939, as part of the freedom movement, all Congress ministries in British Indian provinces resigned and Bombay was placed under Governor's rule. In 1946 that elections were once again held. This time too, Congress won and formed the government under Balasaheb Kher, who continued as Chief Minister even after India's independence until 1952.Party wise break up of seats in the Bombay Legislative Assembly:[3]From 1937 to 1942,B. R. Ambedkar served as theLeader of the Opposition in the Bombay Legislative Assembly.[4][5][3]
Total Number of Seats : 175
| Party | Seats | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Indian National Congress | 88 | ||
| Independents | 32 | ||
| Muslim League | 20 | ||
| Independent Labour Party | 11 | ||
| Europeans, Anglo-Indians and Indian Christians | 8 | ||
| Non-Brahman | 8 | ||
| Democratic Swarajya Party | 5 | ||
| Peasants Party | 2 | ||
| Total | 175 | ||
| Source:Schwartzberg Atlas | |||
After Indian independence in 1947, the Bombay Legislative Assemblyelected in 1946 continued to work as a part of India'sBombay State, until in the1951 elections.
Later elections to Bombay Legislative Assembly were held in1957.
Bombay Legislative Assembly ceased to exist when in 1960, when the States ofMaharashtra andGujarat came into existence andLegislative Assembly of Maharashtra andLegislative Assembly of Gujarat were formed and Bombay Legislative Assembly was dissolved.