Articles 182 and 183 of the Constitution of India: Chairman and Deputy Chairman of the Legislative Council
Articles 182 and 183 form part of Part VI of the Constitution of India dealing with the States. They govern the selection of the Chairman and Deputy Chairman of a State Legislative Council and prescribe when either office becomes vacant, how the office-holder may resign, and how the Council may remove the office-holder.
Updated: 19 September 2026
Article 182 - The Chairman and Deputy Chairman of the Legislative Council
Article 182 applies to every State that has a Legislative Council. It requires the Council, as soon as may be, to choose two of its members to serve respectively as Chairman and Deputy Chairman. If either office later becomes vacant, the Council must choose another member to fill that office.
Constitutional text - Article 182
The Legislative Council of every State having such Council shall, as soon as may be, choose two members of the Council to be respectively Chairman and Deputy Chairman thereof and, so often as the office of Chairman or Deputy Chairman becomes vacant, the Council shall choose another member to be Chairman or Deputy Chairman, as the case may be.
Article 183 - Vacation, resignation and removal from office
Article 183 specifies three ways in which the tenure of a Chairman or Deputy Chairman may end. The provision is tied to membership of the Legislative Council and also creates separate procedures for voluntary resignation and removal by the Council.
Constitutional text - Article 183
A member holding office as Chairman or Deputy Chairman of a Legislative Council-
(a) shall vacate his office if he ceases to be a member of the Council;
(b) may at any time by writing under his hand addressed, if such member is the Chairman, to the Deputy Chairman, and if such member is the Deputy Chairman, to the Chairman, resign his office; and
(c) may be removed from his office by a resolution of the Council passed by a majority of all the then members of the Council:
Provided that no resolution for the purpose of clause (c) shall be moved unless at least fourteen days' notice has been given of the intention to move the resolution.
Meaning and procedure under Articles 182 and 183
| Issue | Constitutional rule |
|---|---|
| Selection | The Legislative Council chooses two of its members as Chairman and Deputy Chairman. |
| Fresh vacancy | When either office becomes vacant, the Council chooses another member for that office. |
| Ceasing to be a Council member | The Chairman or Deputy Chairman vacates the presiding office if he ceases to be a member of the Legislative Council. |
| Resignation by Chairman | The Chairman addresses the written resignation to the Deputy Chairman. |
| Resignation by Deputy Chairman | The Deputy Chairman addresses the written resignation to the Chairman. |
| Removal | A resolution must be passed by a majority of all the then members of the Council. |
| Notice for removal resolution | At least fourteen days' notice of the intention to move the resolution is required. |
How Article 183 connects with Articles 184 and 185
Articles 184 and 185 supplement Articles 182 and 183. Article 184 provides for performance of the Chairman's duties when the office is vacant or the Chairman is absent. Article 185 addresses who presides while a resolution for removal of the Chairman or Deputy Chairman is under consideration and also states the Chairman's participation and voting rights during such proceedings.
Official constitutional source
The current text should be checked against the official Constitution of India published by the Legislative Department, Ministry of Law and Justice. See the official Constitution of India PDF. For legislation and statutory materials, see the India Code portal.
Note: This page explains the constitutional provisions for general legal information. For a particular legislative proceeding, the Constitution should be read with the applicable rules of procedure and relevant authoritative decisions.