Biennial Rajya Sabha Polls for Tamil Nadu and Assam

Context

The Election Commission of India has announced the schedule for the biennial elections to fill eight Rajya Sabha seats—six from Tamil Nadu and two from Assam—as part of the periodic replacement of one-third of the members of the Upper House.

Rajya Sabha: Constitutional and Functional Status

Constitutional Provision: Established under Article 80 of the Constitution.
Maximum Strength: 250 members (currently 245).
- 233 elected by State and UT legislatures.
- 12 nominated by the President for contributions in literature, science, art, and social service.

Biennial Elections:

Purpose: To replace one-third of the members who complete their 6-year term.
Nature of House: Rajya Sabha is a permanent body; it cannot be dissolved.

Election Mechanism:

Indirect Elections: Members are elected by the elected members of the State Legislative Assemblies using proportional representation by means of a single transferable vote (STV).
Elections for UTs: Elected by members of electoral colleges (e.g., Delhi, Puducherry, J&K).

Bye-Elections:

Held if a seat falls vacant before the end of the term.
The member elected serves only the remainder of the original term.

Eligibility (As per Article 84):

Must be a citizen of India.
Must be 30 years of age or above.
Must subscribe to an oath or affirmation under the Third Schedule.
Must fulfill qualifications as prescribed by Parliament.

Grounds for Disqualification:

Holding an office of profit under government.
Being insolvent, unsound of mind, or a foreign citizen.
Disqualified under the Tenth Schedule (anti-defection law).

Importance of Biennial Elections:

Ensures continuity in parliamentary proceedings.
Reflects the changing political composition of State Assemblies in Rajya Sabha representation.

PYQ:

With reference to the election of the President of India, consider the following statements: (2017)

The value of the vote of each MLA varies from State to State.
The value of the vote of MPs of the Lok Sabha is more than the value of the vote of MPs of the Rajya Sabha.

Which of the statements given above is/are correct?