Absolute majority
Also called: Majority of the total membership · Topic: Amendment of the Constitution and the Basic Structure · NCERT: Class 11, Ch 9 "Constitution as a Living Document"
Meaning
An absolute majority is more than half of a House's total membership. It does not matter how many members are present on the day. It is the benchmark for forming a government. It is also the first of the two conditions of a special majority under Art. 368.
Example
The Lok Sabha has 543 members, so an absolute majority is 272. When an amendment bill is voted on, it must get at least 272 votes, however many members turn up. If 400 members vote, two-thirds of those voting is 267. That is not enough, because the bill still needs 272.
Don't confuse with
- Simple majority: more than half of those present and voting, not of the whole House.
- Effective majority: more than half of total membership minus vacancies (empty seats).