The Representation of the People Act,1950
Section 7. Total number of seats in Legislative Assemblies and Assembly constituencies
1[Total number of seats in Legislative Assemblies and Assembly constituencies. (1) 2[Subject to the provisions of 3[sub-section (1A), (1B) and (1C)], the total number of seats] in the Legislative Assembly of each State specified in the Second Schedule, to be filled by persons chosen by direct election from assembly constituencies, and the number of seats, if any, to be reserved for the Scheduled Castes and for the Scheduled Tribes of the State, shall be as shown in that Schedule:
Provided that for the period referred to in clause (2) of article 371A, the total number of seats allotted to the Legislative Assembly of the State of Nagaland shall be 4[fifty-two], of which-
(a) 5[twelve seats] shall be allocated to the Tuensang district and shall be filled by persons chosen by the members of the regional council, referred to in that article, from amongst themselves in such manner as the Governor, after consulting that Council may, by notification in the Official Gazette, specify, and
(b) The remaining forty seats shall be filled by persons chosen by direct election from assembly constituencies in the rest of the State.
6[(1A) Notwithstanding anything contained in sub-section (1), the total number of seats in the Legislative Assembly of the State of Sikkim, to be constituted at any time after the commencement of the Representation of the People (Amendment) Act,1980 (8 of 1980), to be filled by persons chosen by direct election from assembly constituencies shall be thirty-two, of which-
(a) Twelve seats shall be reserved for Sikkimese of Bhutia Lepcha origin;
(b) Two seats shall be reserved for the Scheduled Castes of the State; and
(c) One seat shall be reserved for the Sanghas referred to in section 25A.
Explanation. This subsection “Bhutia” includes Chumbipa, Dopthapa, Dukpa, Kagatey, Sherpa, Tibetan, Tromopa and Yolmo.]
7[(1B) Notwithstanding anything contained in sub-section (1), in the Legislative Assemblies of the States of Arunachal Pradesh, Meghalaya, Mizoram and Nagaland, to be constituted at any time after the commencement of the Representation of the People (Third Amendment) Act,1987 (40 of 1987), –
(a) 10[fifty-nine seats] shall be reserved for the Scheduled Tribes in the Legislative Assembly of the State of Arunachal Pradesh;
(b) Fifty-five seats shall be reserved for the Scheduled Tribes in the Legislative Assembly of the State of Meghalayi;
(c) Thirty-nine seats shall be reserved for the Scheduled Tribes in the Legislative Assembly of the State of Mizoram; and
(d) Fifty-nine seats shall be reserved for the Scheduled Tribes in the Legislative Assembly of the State of Nagaland.]
8[(1C) Notwithstanding anything contained in sub-section (1), twenty seats shall be reserved for the Scheduled Tribes in the Legislative Assembly of the State of Tripura to be constituted at any time after the commencement of the Representation of the People (Amendment) Act,1992].
(2) Every Assembly constituency referred to 9[in sub-section (1) of sub-section (I A) shall be a single-member constituency.
11[(3) The extent of each assembly constituency in all the States and Union territories except the assembly constituencies in the States of Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, Jharkhand, Manipur and Nagaland shall be as determined by the orders of the Delimitation Commission made under the provisions of the Delimitation Act,2002 (33 of 2002) and the extent of each assembly constituency in the States of Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, Jharkhand, Manipur and Nagaland shall be as provided for in the Delimitation of Parliamentary and Assembly Constituencies Order,2008 havi
ng regard to the pr ovisions of Sections 10-A and 10-B of the Delimitation Act,2002.].
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1. Subs. by Act 47 of 1966, sec. 4, for section 7 (w.e.f. 14-12-1966). Original sections 8 and 9 were rep. by Act 2 of 1956, sec. 5 and the Adaptation of Laws (No. 2) Order,1956, respectively.
2. Subs. by Act 8 of 1980, see. 2, for certain words (w.e.f. 1-9-1979)
3. Subs. by Act 38 of 1992, sec. 2, for “sub-sections (l A) and (l B)” (w.e.f. 5-12-1992)
4.. Subs. by Act No. 10 of 2008 w.e.f. 28-3-2008.
5. Subs. by Act 61 of 1968, sec. 4, for “six seats” .
6. Ins. by Act 8 of 1980, sec. 2 (w.e.f. 1-9-1979).
7 Ins. by Act 40 of 1987, sec. 2 (w.e.f. 22-9-1987).
8. Ins. by Act 38 of 1992, sec. 2 (w.e.f. 5-12-1992).
9. Subs. by Act 8 of 1980, sec. 2, for “in sub-section (1)” (w.e.f. 1-9-1979).
10. The words “thirty-nine seats” Subs. by Act No. 10 of 2008 w.e.f. 28-3-2008.
