Can someone else vote on behalf of an absent member of the State Legislature?
No, a member of the State Legislature cannot vote on behalf of an absent member. As per Section 189 (1) of the Indian Constitution, all decisions in the House are made by a majority vote of the members present and voting, excluding the Speaker or Chairman. The Speaker or Chairman does not vote initially but holds a casting vote in case of a tie. Proceedings in the State Legislature remain valid even if it is discovered later that an unentitled person participated or voted during the proceedings. However, there is no mention of one member voting on behalf of another absent member in this context.