The members of a state Legislative Council (Vidhan Parishad) are elected for a term of:

Members of a state Legislative Council are elected or nominated for a term of six years. One-third of the members retire every second year.

A permanent House:

• The Legislative Council is a permanent body and is not subject to dissolution.
• Because one-third of its members retire every two years, the Council continues even when the Legislative Assembly is dissolved.
• This is similar to the Rajya Sabha at the Union level.

Comparison with the Legislative Assembly:

• The Legislative Assembly normally has a term of five years and can be dissolved earlier by the Governor.
• Its members are directly elected by the people.

Composition of the Council:

• Members are elected by local bodies, members of the Legislative Assembly, graduates and teachers, and some are nominated.
• The size of the Council is limited to one-third of the Assembly, with a minimum of 40 members.

Qualifications:

A member of the Council must be a citizen of India and at least 30 years of age.

Presiding officers:

The Council elects its own Chairman and Deputy Chairman.

States with Legislative Councils:

Andhra Pradesh, Bihar, Karnataka, Maharashtra, Telangana and Uttar Pradesh have Legislative Councils.

Powers of the Council:

• It can delay ordinary bills but cannot block them permanently.
• It can only make recommendations on Money Bills.

Vacancies:

A by-election to fill a casual vacancy is held only for the remainder of the term of the member who left.

Creation and abolition:

Parliament can create or abolish a Council if the Assembly passes a resolution by a special majority (Article 169).

Why not the other options?

• ✗4 and 5 years do not match the term of Council members.
• ✗Membership is not permanent, though the House itself is permanent.