Types of Majority
- Absolute Majority
- Simple Majority
- Effective Majority
- 2/3 Present and Voting Majority
- 2/3 of Total Strength Majority
- Special Majority
- Special Majority + 1/2 of state Legislative with Simple Majority
Absolute Majority
It is a behavioral majority, sometimes only same, to calculate and discover after the new election whether a political party gets a full majority or not. This means the majority of the total strength.
Simple Majority
This type of majority is used in most of the places in the constitution. It means a majority of the present and voting. This majority is variable depending upon people who are present and voting. This is used, for example, in the passing of ordinary bills, changing of government, electing the speaker and deputy speaker, etc.
Effective Majority
Effective majority is denoted as majority of then and there. It means effective strength. It means total strength - vacancies.
This majority is used in various places like removal of speaker, deputy speaker, vice president for Rajya Sabha, deputy chairman in Rajya Sabha, etc.
This means we subtract the number of vacancies. It is not variable. It is fixed at the that point.
Effective Strength = Total Strength - Vaccancy
2/3 Present and Voting Majority
This majority is variable and depending upon the present strength and who are voting. There are two articles, specially Article 249 and 312, where this majority is used. 312 talks about all India service inclusion and 249 talks about Rajya Sabha power to authorize parliament to make laws for state list.
2/3 of Total Strength Majority
This is considered to be the toughest majority of all because the strength is not variable. It is fixed there. Therefore this majority is only used in the impeachment of the President in the entire Constitution under Article 61 on the grounds of violation of the Constitution.
Special Majority
This majority of total strength and two-thirds vote is used in various places:
- amending the Constitution under Article 68
- removal of Supreme Court judges
- changing the fundamental rights
- DPSP
- removal of CAG
- removal of Chief Electoral Commission, etc.
This majority includes the majority of the total strength and the majority of two-thirds present and voting.
Special Majority + 1/2 of state Legislative with Simple Majority
This majority is generally used for amending the constitutional date, is change in federal principles required. It means once the bill is passed by the Parliament, it goes to the State Legislature. Out of the total State Legislature, if half of the State Legislative Houses in India have approved it with a simple majority, it therefore demands to be approved. This is also present in Article 368.