Types of Majorities

Type of Majority

Constitutional Provisions

Application

Simple Majority: the majority of more than 50% of the members present and voting.

It is also known as functional or working majority.

• Article 100: Voting in Houses, power of Houses to act notwithstanding vacancies and quorum
• Article 108: Joint sitting of both Houses in certain cases.
• Article 169: Abolition or creation of Legislative Councils in States.
• Article 356: President Rule.

• Ordinary bills need to be passed with a simple majority in both Houses of Parliament and the State Legislature.
• Passing No-Confidence Motion, Adjournment Motion, Censure Motion, Confidence Motion, etc.
• Passing of resolution declaring Financial Emergency, President’s Rule.
• Abolition or creation of the State Legislative Council.
• Election of Speaker and deputy speaker in Lok Sabha etc.

Absolute majority: the majority of more than 50% of the House’s total membership.

Note: Parliament or the State legislature does not use the absolute majority for normal business.

• Used for the formation of government at the Centre and States after the general elections.

Effective Majority: the majority of more than 50% of the effective strength of the House.

Example of Effective strength: If 15 seats out of a total 545 seats in Lok Sabha are vacant. Then effective strength is 545-15 = 530. In this case, the effective majority will be 265. 

• Article 67(b):  Removal of Vice President.
• Article 90(c): Removal of Deputy Chairman of Rajya Sabha
• Article 94(c): Removal of Speaker and Deputy Speaker of Lok Sabha

• Vice President of India may be removed through a Rajya Sabha resolution passed by an effective majority and later approved by the Lok Sabha (simple majority).
• Removal of the Speaker and Deputy Speaker of the Lok Sabha and the State Legislatures.

Special Majority Type-1: Majority by two-thirds of members present and voting.

• Article 249: Power of Parliament to legislate with respect to a matter in the State List in the national interest.

• Rajya Sabha, by passing a  resolution under this majority, empowers the Parliament to make laws on subjects in the State List.

Special Majority Type-2: Majority of two-third members present and voting along with 50% of the total strength of the House.

• Article 368

• Part III: Fundamental Rights
• Part IV: Directive Principles of State Policy
• All other constitutional amendment provisions which are not covered by either a simple majority or special majority type-3.

Special Majority Type-3: A majority of two-thirds members present and voting supported by more than 50% of the state legislatures by a simple majority.

• Special majority under Article 368 passed by the Parliament and ratification by 50% of the states by a Simple majority.   

Used to pass

Constitutional Amendment

bills involving federal matters:

• Election of the President and its manner.
• Extent of the executive power of the Union and the states.
• Supreme Court and High Courts.
• Distribution of legislative powers between

the Union and the States.

• Any of the lists in the Seventh Schedule.
• Representation of States in Parliament.
• Power of Parliament to amend the Constitution and its procedure (Article 368).

Special Majority Type-4: Majority of 2/3rd of the total strength of the House.

• Article 61: Impeachment of President

• The President can be removed from his office before the completion of his term of 5 years by the procedure of impeachment for ‘violation of the Constitution’.
• Both Houses of the Parliament need to pass the motion by 2/3rd of the total strength of the House.