Types of Majorities in Parliament
(The mathematical logic behind parliamentary decision-making)
Before diving in, let’s pause for a moment and ask —
Why do we have different kinds of majorities at all?
👉 Because not all decisions are equal.
Passing a simple bill is one thing; removing the President or amending the Constitution is another.
So, the Constitution adjusts the level of consensus required depending on the gravity of the decision.
Simple Majority
— “Majority of Members Present and Voting”
This is the default rule under Article 100 of the Constitution.
It simply means:
Majority of members who are actually present in the House and vote.
So, abstentions or absentees don’t count at all.
If 200 MPs are present, and 150 vote — 90 votes are enough for a simple majority.
Other Names:
- Ordinary majority
- Working majority
- Functional majority
Where It Is Used:
✅ Most of the routine business of Parliament — i.e., the day-to-day work of democracy — runs on this majority.
Let’s list the important examples:
| Use Case | Constitutional Article |
|---|---|
| Passing of Ordinary Bills, Money Bills, Financial Bills | — |
| Passing of Adjournment, Censure, No-Confidence, and Confidence Motions | — |
| Removal of Vice-President (in Lok Sabha only) | Art. 67 |
| Approval of President’s Rule (State Emergency) | Art. 356 |
| Approval of Financial Emergency | Art. 360 |
| Election of Speaker & Deputy Speaker (Lok Sabha) | Art. 93 |
| Election of Deputy Chairman (Rajya Sabha) | Art. 89 |
| Disapproval of continuation of National Emergency | Art. 352 |
💡 In short: Simple majority = “Normal working tool” of Parliament.
Effective Majority
— “Majority of All the Then Members of the House”
This is slightly stricter.
It means:
Majority of the total membership minus the vacant seats.
So, it is the majority of the House’s effective strength.
Example:
- Rajya Sabha total = 245
Suppose 25 seats are vacant → effective membership = 220.
Effective majority = 111 (more than half of 220). - Lok Sabha total = 543
Suppose 15 seats are vacant → effective membership = 528.
Effective majority = 265 (more than half of 528).
Where It Is Used:
The Constitution uses the phrase “a majority of all the then members of the House” — meaning effective majority — in the following cases:
| Case | Article |
|---|---|
| Removal of Vice-President (in Rajya Sabha) | Art. 67 |
| Removal of Deputy Chairman of Rajya Sabha | Art. 90 |
| Removal of Speaker or Deputy Speaker of Lok Sabha | Art. 94 |
💡 Tip: Effective majority is mainly for removal of presiding officers and Vice-President.
Absolute Majority
— “Majority of the Total Membership”
This is theoretical but important for understanding special majorities.
It means:
More than half of the total strength of the House, regardless of vacancies or absences.
Example:
- Lok Sabha total = 543 → Absolute majority = 272
- Rajya Sabha total = 245 → Absolute majority = 123
Usage:
- Not used alone in any constitutional provision.
- But used as a component of certain special majorities, particularly Special Majority–I under Article 368 (constitutional amendment).
Special Majority
— “Supermajority for Special Cases”
Now comes the heavyweight.
When the framers of the Constitution wanted a wider national consensus, they required special majorities — especially for constitutional amendments and removal of high constitutional authorities.
But not all special majorities are the same — there are three subtypes.
Special Majority – I
(Article 368 – Constitutional Amendments Type)
Requires:
✅ Majority of the total membership of each House, AND
✅ ⅔ of the members present and voting.
This is the most common special majority in the Constitution.
Where It’s Used:
| Purpose | Article |
|---|---|
| Amendment of the Constitution | Art. 368 |
| Removal of Judges of Supreme Court | Art. 124(4) |
| Removal of Judges of High Courts | Art. 217(1)(b) |
| Removal of Comptroller & Auditor General (CAG) | Art. 148 |
| Removal of Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) | Art. 324(5) |
| Removal of State Election Commissioner | Art. 243K(2) |
| Approval of National Emergency | Art. 352(4) |
💡 Remember: “Special-I = Total majority + Two-thirds present & voting.”
Use: Amendments and removals of high officers.
Special Majority – II
(For Impeachment of the President – Article 61)
Requires:
✅ ⅔ majority of the total membership of each House.
This is even stricter — every seat counts, not just those present.
Where Used:
- Impeachment of the President of India (Art. 61).
So, if even 1/3rd of members are absent, the motion automatically fails — it needs two-thirds of total membership, not just of those present.
Special Majority – III
(For Certain Rajya Sabha Powers)
Requires:
✅ ⅔ majority of members present and voting in the Rajya Sabha (only one House).
This is a Rajya Sabha-only special power — used when the Upper House must authorise Parliament to act in special domains.
Where Used:
| Purpose | Article |
|---|---|
| Creation of new All-India Services | Art. 312 |
| Parliamentary legislation on matters in the State List | Art. 249 |
💡 Tip: These powers highlight Rajya Sabha’s “federal character” — representing states’ consent for central intervention.
🧮 Comparison Chart — All Four Majorities at a Glance
| Type | Meaning | Formula | Example Uses | Article Keywords |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Simple Majority | Majority of members present & voting | >50% of P&V | Ordinary Bills, Motions, Emergencies | Art. 100 |
| Effective Majority | Majority of total membership minus vacancies | >50% of current strength | Removal of Speaker, Deputy Speaker, Vice-President | “All the then members” |
| Absolute Majority | Majority of total membership | >50% of total strength | Component of Special Majority-I | — |
| Special Majority–I | Majority of total membership + ⅔ present & voting | — | Constitutional Amendments, CAG, Judges, CEC, Emergency | Art. 368 |
| Special Majority–II | ⅔ of total membership of each House | — | Impeachment of President | Art. 61 |
| Special Majority–III | ⅔ of members present & voting in Rajya Sabha only | — | New All-India Services, State List matters | Arts. 249, 312 |
💬 Wrap-Up Thought
“In politics, every vote is a number, but every number tells a story.
When the issue is routine, a simple majority speaks.
When the issue is serious, an effective majority decides.
But when the issue touches the soul of the Constitution — like amending it or impeaching a President — democracy demands something rarer: a special majority, which is nothing less than a collective conscience expressed in numbers.”