Home The Constitution Part VI Article 170

Art. 170 Part VI: The States

Composition of the Legislative Assemblies

Exact text — Constitution of India

(1) Subject to the provisions of article 333, the Legislative Assembly of each State shall consist of not more than five hundred, and not less than sixty, members chosen by direct election from territorial constituencies in the State. (2) For the purposes of clause (1), each State shall be divided into territorial constituencies in such manner that the ratio between the population of each constituency and the number of seats allotted to it is, so far as practicable, the same throughout the State...

In Plain English

What this Article actually means

This Article sets the size range for State Legislative Assemblies (between 60 and 500 members, depending on the state's population), all directly elected from territorial constituencies, with the same population-to-seat ratio consistency principle used for Lok Sabha constituencies.

Why This Matters To You

How it shows up in everyday life

This is why smaller states like Goa have a much smaller Assembly (with Article 371-I's specific minimum of 30 for Goa) compared to large states like Uttar Pradesh, which has one of India's largest Legislative Assemblies — all operating within this Article's 60-500 member range.

Read alongside this one

Art. 371-i — Special Provisions for Goa

Frequently Asked

Quick answers about Article 170

Why does Article 333 get referenced in this Article's text?

Similar to Article 81's Lok Sabha provision, this is a vestigial cross-reference to the now-omitted Anglo-Indian nomination provision (repealed by the 104th Amendment, 2019).

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The text above reproduces Article 170 of the Constitution of India as amended to date, for general educational reference. It is public-domain legislative text, but we recommend cross-checking the authoritative version at legislative.gov.in or india.gov.in before relying on it for a legal matter. The explanation, examples and FAQs are general information, not legal advice — consult a qualified advocate for guidance on your specific situation.