Cochin Legislative Council

The Cochin Legislative Council was a legislative body of the Cochin State that functioned from 1925 to 1948 before the merger of Cochin and Travancore to form the Travancore-Cochin state and the Travancore-Cochin Legislative Assembly.

The Council was inaugurated in April 1925 under the Cochin Legislative Council Act of 1923 which established a 45-member legislature in Cochin comprising 30 elected and 15 nominated members. Franchise however was limited, dependent on several property and allied qualifications and besides general constituencies there were also special constituencies created to represent specific classes such as those of landlords and planters.

The Council was allowed to introduce bills, elicit information from the Government, move resolutions and discuss and vote on the budgetary demands. T. S. Narayana Aiyer was the Council’s first president. In 1926, two select committees were formed and in 1935, four Standing Advisory Committees were constituted. The Council functioned out of the Legislative Council building which is now a part of the main block of the Government Law College, Ernakulam. In 1932, the Council was expanded taking the number of members to 54.

In 1938, under the Government of Cochin Act, 1938, a system of diarchy was introduced in Cochin and the office of a Minister, chosen from the members of the Council and answerable to it, in charge of departments related to rural development was created. The model was based on the system of diarchy that had been established in British India through the Government of India Act of 1919. Among the subjects that were transferred to the minister were agriculture, co-operatives, public health, panchayats and industries. Cochin was among the earliest princely states to create such an office. The Council’s membership was also raised to 58 of whom 38 were elected members. In the elections of 1938, the Cochin Congress and the Cochin State Congress were the principal rivals. Ultimately, the Cochin Congress secured 13, the Cochin State Congress 12 and the independents and Progressive Party 13 seats. The Cochin Congress with the support of some independents came to power on June 17, 1938.

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