This methodology of holding elections for multiple vacancies in the upper house together would ensure that merely the largest party in the state legislature is not able to corner all the vacant seats of the house, said Krishnamani.

He added that if the election for several Rajya Sabha seats are held together, even smaller parties stand a chance to get a few seats in the upper house.

But in case the elections are held separately with as many ballot papers as there are casual vacancies, each member of the legislature gets as many chances to vote and this can favour the largest party.

Interestingly, the lawsuit came up for its first formal hearing on the day the Election Commission notified the by-election schedule.

Seeking directions to the poll panel to hold the by-elections for the three vacancies together through a single ballot paper, senior counsel Krishnamani had rushed to the apex court Tuesday without filing his lawsuit properly.

He had pleaded to the court that the poll panel was likely to issue its notification on July 23 for the election to fill the three casual vacancies in the Rajya Sabha from Maharashtra.

Accordingly, he wanted the court to hear his lawsuit on July 22, saying his plea would become futile after the Election Commission issues notification for holding the election as the constitution bars courts from interfering into any election process after the notification.

But the court had asked him to approach it only after filing his lawsuit.